Tomorrow / Wednesday / corresponding to the twenty-second of March of each year, the countries of the world will celebrate the World Water Day for the year 2023, under the title "Accelerate the pace of change", in order to find a solution to the water and sanitation crisis, with the aim of raising awareness of all matters related to water and inspiring others to take the necessary measures towards the most important challenges facing the population of the planet today, which is water scarcity, which comes as a result of natural and human causes and factors. The main focus of this occasion is to support the sixth goal of the Sustainable Development Goals, which addresses the issue of making water and sanitation available for all by 2030, but the dysfunction of the water cycle undermines the progress made on most major global issues, including health, food security and equality. Gender, employment, education, industry and peace. Access to water, sanitation and hygiene is a human right, but millions of people and countless schools, businesses, healthcare centres, farms and factories still face daily challenges in accessing even the most basic services. The State of Qatar, along with the rest of the world, celebrates this occasion, recognizing the importance of water and the need to conserve it, rationalize its consumption and manage its resources in a way that achieves sustainability, especially since these aspirations are in line with the Qatar National Vision, which aims to transform the country by 2030 into a country capable of ensuring the continuation of a decent life. of its people generation after generation. The State of Qatar is also working to sustain the provision of high-quality water services, and continuously seeks to upgrade them to the best levels while adhering to local and international health and safety standards. Which succeeded in reducing the rate of water consumption per capita in the country by a large percentage. During the past years, KAHRAMAA has succeeded in meeting the increasing demand for water in the country, despite the annual increase in water consumption. It has also achieved its strategic objectives of enhancing Qatari water security, by increasing the capacity of the strategic water reserve, and raising the capacity of the water system to face emergencies. The maximum, as it increased the storage capacity from 1,000 to 2,400 million gallons, which is equivalent to an increase of one hundred and forty percent in its stock of drinking water. Among the projects that Kahramaa completed during the past year 2022 is the inauguration of the National Water Control Center after the completion of its renovation and development works, where the National Emergency Water Control Center was established, within the framework of the Corporation’s long-term strategic plan 2030, and to ensure the flow of water services at the highest level. levels. KAHRAMAA continued to complete many projects and works to provide safe and healthy water for all residents of the State of Qatar, as the total annual water production during the past year amounted to 671 million cubic meters. New subscribers, in response to the high demand, urban expansion and the great economic renaissance witnessed by the State of Qatar. In order to enhance the country’s water security, Kahramaa launched an additional 64 million gallons in giant reservoir projects, equivalent to 4.5 percent of the total capacity of the project, bringing the total launched to 1421 million gallons, or 100 percent of the target capacity. Water storage to 2,396 million gallons, compared to 2,332 million gallons for the same period in 2021.
In a message marking World Water Day, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said: The lifeblood of our world, water, is poisoned, drop by drop, by pollution and is being depleted by insatiable overuse, predicting that by the end of the decade the demand for water will be forty percent higher. He said that climate change turns the natural cycle of water upside down, which exacerbates water-related disasters, disease outbreaks, water shortages and droughts, and at the same time damages infrastructure, food production activities and supply chains. The Secretary-General emphasized that the theme of this year’s World Water Day celebration reflects the cost of these failures, which burden millions of people deprived of safe water and sanitation facilities. He stressed that the world is blatantly – and dangerously – deviating from the right path that leads to the goal of providing safe and managed water and sanitation services for all by 2030. Guterres indicated that World Water Day coincided with the United Nations Water Conference, which kicks off tomorrow. Wednesday, he said, constitutes a defining moment for national governments, local and regional authorities, businesses, scientists, youth, civil society organizations and local communities, giving them the opportunity to join forces and work together to design solutions that lead to the availability of clean water and sanitation facilities for all and to invest in such Solutions. In his message, Guterres stressed that there is no way to waste more time, and called for making the current year 2023 a year of transformation and investment to preserve the lifeline of humanity. In a similar message, Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, said: The necessity of water is not limited to being the source of all forms of life, but also includes that it is the foundation upon which the health and development of our societies is based. Thus, water is the common denominator of the goals of UNESCO and the United Nations, as one cannot learn well, enjoy good health, and spread peace and justice in a world that suffers from thirst or is ravaged by diseases as a result of drinking undrinkable water. Azoulay added that, according to the data available to the United Nations, two billion people in the world do not have access to water at the present time, which requires urgent measures, the need for which is becoming more and more urgent due to the consequences of climate change that the world is suffering from. of them already at present, which could exacerbate droughts and water scarcity, as well as the scale and frequency of floods. She noted that UNESCO has believed in the importance of collaborative action in this regard for a long time, and has not stopped striving for that through its Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme, which has gradually made it possible over the course of five decades to enable 169 national committees to work together, as well as through UNESCO’s Global Resources Assessment Programme. Water resources, the 29 independent centers concerned with water operating under the auspices of UNESCO, and the 70 UNESCO university chairs on water.
