Her Excellency Maryam bint Mohammed Al Muhairi, the Minister of Climate Change and Environment, led the UAE delegation at the United Nations Water Conference 2023 in New York City, USA. She spoke regarding the UAE’s commitment to collective action and international cooperation to address water scarcity issues. During her speech, she emphasized the negative impacts of water shortages on important issues such as food shortages, conflicts between farmers and pastoralists, and migration issues. She also discussed the effects of climate change on water and the need to focus on practical ways to address climate risks. The conference aimed to accelerate progress towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of ensuring access to water and sanitation services for all. The UAE is dedicated to developing more efficient desalination plants, improving water harvesting processes, and promoting water conservation technologies. Maryam Al Muhairi participated in several panel discussions related to improving water management, climate resilience, and disaster risk reduction.
Dubai (Union)
Her Excellency Maryam bint Mohammed Al Muhairi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, highlighted the UAE’s efforts to expand the scope of collective action and international cooperation, and to develop innovative solutions to address the global challenge of water scarcity, during her leadership of the UAE delegation during the United Nations Water Conference 2023, which was held Its activities began yesterday in New York City, USA, and its activities will continue until tomorrow, Friday, March 24th.
During her participation, Her Excellency delivered a speech before the United Nations Security Council meeting in the Arria Formula yesterday, on the UAE’s position on the pressing issues caused by the lack of water in the world, and she said: “Pressure on water systems causes many tangible effects more than ever before on files Important such as food shortages, tensions and conflicts between farmers and pastoralists, and migration issues, which ultimately leads to undermining stability in the most fragile regions. And as the impacts of climate change become tangible on water – through droughts, floods and tsunamis – the effects of the water file are likely to intensify. The UAE will continue to work with its partners to ensure that the Council focuses on practical ways to ensure that climate risks inspire decision-making.”
Her Excellency Maryam Al Muhairi headed the UAE delegation to the United Nations Water Conference, which aims to highlight the importance of water and activate that file within the global agenda, and accelerate work to achieve the sixth goal within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals represented in ensuring the availability and management of water and sanitation services for all. sustainable management.
The conference, hosted by the governments of Tajikistan and the Netherlands, kicked off yesterday, during World Water Day (March 22). Today and tomorrow will witness several high-level formal sessions, public debates, special events, and interactive dialogues organized by United Nations Member States, multilateral entities, and various stakeholders.
The UAE is also developing more desalination plants that consume less energy, exchanging knowledge and technologies to improve water harvesting processes, stimulating investment in water conservation technologies, raising awareness to change behaviors and consumption patterns, working to reduce the water footprint of homes and businesses, and establishing more international partnerships in this regard. Her Excellency Maryam Al Muhairi will participate during the United Nations Water Conference in several discussion sessions, the most important of which is the interactive dialogue, “Water for Climate, Resilience and the Environment: From Source to Sea, Biodiversity, Climate, Resilience, and Disaster Risk Reduction,” chaired by Shared between Japan and Egypt. The session will explore opportunities to enhance the convergence of intergovernmental processes and address barriers to providing data and information to improve water management, climate resilience, early warning systems, and risk-informed decision-making.
Al Muhairi will also participate in the panel discussion “From the United Nations Water Conference to COP 28: Accelerating Action in the Field of Water and Climate” hosted by the Permanent Missions of the UAE to the United Nations, the Netherlands, Tajikistan and the United Nations Committee on Water Resources. Her Excellency will also participate in a session hosted by Egypt entitled “From the COP27 Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Water Conference 2023: Working on Water Adaptation and Resilience”, where she will share the experiences of the UAE in facing the challenge of water scarcity and climate change.
In conclusion, the UAE’s efforts to address the global challenge of water scarcity have been on full display during the United Nations Water Conference 2023 in New York City. Her Excellency Maryam bint Mohammed Al Muhairi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, has shown leadership in expanding the scope of collective action and international cooperation, while also developing innovative solutions to the pressing issues caused by the lack of water in the world. As the conference continues, the UAE will continue to work with its partners to achieve the sixth goal within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals represented in ensuring the availability and management of water and sanitation services for all. The UAE’s commitment to developing more desalination plants, exchanging knowledge and technologies, stimulating investment, and raising awareness to change behaviors and consumption patterns will ensure that the country remains a key player in global efforts to improve water management, climate resilience, and risk-informed decision-making.
