Her Excellency Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, underlined the UAE’s ambition to scale collective action and develop innovative solutions to address the global challenge of water scarcity.
Presenting to the UN Security Council Arria-Formula Meeting at the UN 2023 Water Conference, Her Excellency Almheiri said: “The stress on our water systems is contributing in ever-more concrete ways to food shortages, farmer-herder tensions and migration, ultimately undermining stability in the most fragile areas. With impacts of climate change manifesting most concretely through water – via droughts, flooding, tsunamis – these trends are only likely to worsen. The UAE will continue to work with its partners to ensure that the Council focuses on practical ways to warranty that climate risks inform its decision-making.”
The UAE is an elected member of the Security Council and HE Almheiri is leading the UAE delegation at the UN 2023 Water Conference. The conference aims to raise the importance of water on the global agenda and accelerate action to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal of clean water and sanitation for all by 2030.
Co-hosted by the Governments of Tajikistan and the Netherlands, the conference opened on World Water Day (March 22). The three days will feature several high-level official sessions, plenaries, special events and interactive dialogues organised by UN Member States, multilateral entities, and other stakeholders.
The UAE is developing more energy-efficient desalination plants; sharing knowledge to improve water harvesting; catalyzing investment in water conservation technologies; raising awareness to change behaviors and consumption patterns; regulating to reduce the water footprint of homes and businesses; and forging international partnerships.
H.E. Almheiri will take part in the interactive dialogue,‘Water for Climate, Resilience, and Environment: Source to Sea, Biodiversity, Climate, Resilience, and DRR’, co-chaired by Japan and Egypt. The session will explore opportunities to strengthen convergence between intergovernmental processes and address the barriers to providing data and information for improved water management, climate resilience, early warning systems, and risk-informed decision-making.
H.E. Almheiri will participate in side events such as ‘From UN Water Conference to COP28: Accelerating Water and Climate Action’ hosted by the Permanent Mission of the UAE to the UN, Netherlands, Tajikistan and UN Water. She will also take part in a session hosted by Egypt on ‘From COP27 to the UN 2023 Water Conf: Action on Water Adaptation and Resilience (AWARE),’ where she will share the UAE’s experiences in addressing the challenge of water scarcity and climate change.
H.E. Almheiri will engage with global leaders, policymakers, and experts to identify innovative solutions to water challenges and advance progress toward sustainable water management, resilient ecosystems, and equitable access to water.