Minister of Environment and Climate Change: Qatar attaches great importance to saving and preserving water

His Excellency Sheikh Dr. Faleh bin Nasser bin Ahmed bin Ali Al Thani, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, affirmed the firm position of the State of Qatar that attaches the utmost importance to the issue of water, and its keenness to develop proactive plans to ensure the provision and preservation of water in the long term. During his speech at the United Nations Water Conference currently being held in New York City, His Excellency referred to what the State of Qatar has done by aligning the goals and objectives of the 2030 sustainable development plan with the goals of the country’s national development strategy, to achieve most of the indicators of the sixth goal of the sustainable development goals, related to ensuring access to clean water. and sanitation services for all and ensuring their sustainable management. In his speech, HE the Minister of Environment and Climate Change reviewed the achievements of the State of Qatar in the field of water desalination, stressing that it follows the best modern technological methods in desalination plants, as it produces 35 percent of the desalinated water using reverse osmosis technology, which contributes significantly to improving energy efficiency. The total production of desalination plants amounted to 538 million gallons per day, and the total demand for water reached 400 million gallons per day. He pointed out that it is within Qatar’s policy to provide a reserve production capacity of at least 10 percent to ensure covering the increasing demand for water for the coming years, in addition to following international best practices in operation and optimal use of water. On water recycling, HE Sheikh Dr. Faleh bin Nasser bin Ahmed bin Ali Al Thani indicated that the State of Qatar follows the best global technological methods in the tertiary treatment of wastewater, as 80 percent of the treated water is used in various fields such as irrigation, agriculture and cooling. And others, and there are plans to treat and recycle shallow groundwater and industrial wastewater for use in agriculture and irrigation (in addition to treated water), pointing out that Qatar seeks to treat 50 percent of that water by 2027. During his speech, His Excellency mentioned that Qatar is currently carrying out a number of projects and research to find more solutions to meet water-related challenges, including the phenomenon of fish deaths due to the high salinity of sea water, as a result of the disposal of brine produced by desalination plants in the sea, stressing the importance of this environmental issue for countries bordering on The Gulf, which relies heavily on water desalination. Regarding the catastrophic effects of desertification, HE the Minister of Environment and Climate Change drew attention to the launch of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, an initiative to establish the Global Drylands Alliance, which is one of the international mechanisms aimed at confronting climate change and achieving food security, pointing out that Qatar hosts Expo 2023 Doha for gardening this world under the slogan "Green desert, better environment" With the participation of many countries to review the most important mechanisms and technologies that contribute to combating desertification and its effects. His Excellency noted the State of Qatar’s fulfillment of its obligations as an active partner in the international community, through its active membership in the Water Friends Group, and its accession to the International Steering Committee of the first high-level international conference on the International Decade of Action. "Water for sustainable development" Held in Tajikistan in 2018. He pointed out that the United Nations Water Conference is taking place at a watershed stage, marked by loud voices calling for saving the environmental situation, especially since water is at the heart of the challenges facing the world in the current period, including, for example, those related to waves Drought, food crises, climate crisis and others. HE Sheikh Dr. Faleh bin Nasser bin Ahmed bin Ali Al Thani affirmed the State of Qatar’s aspiration that this conference will be able to unite international efforts and agree on taking decisive decisions, which will contribute to ending the suffering of the world with regard to the first element of life, which is water. At the end of his speech, HE the Minister of Environment and Climate Change reaffirmed solidarity with all efforts that aspire to unify the actions of countries in the field of water, expressing his optimism about the success of the meeting in mobilizing the political will to face global water challenges in a comprehensive and action-based manner.