The Arab Water Week opens in Jordan

The Arab Water Week opens in Jordan

The challenge of managing water utilities in the Arab region will be the focus of the Arab Water Week. The event to be held in Amman, Jordan, starting on 19 March, will gather some 500 experts from the water sector, representing governments, regional and international organisations, private water and wastewater companies, and scientific research institutions. The Conference and Exhibition will provide a broad technical presentations and a policy-based program, along with a specialized exhibition targeting water supply and wastewater vendor’s and other service providers in the water sector. Important agreements in the water sector will be signed on the sidelines of the event, according to organisers, who said that the water week will also discuss empowering women leaders in the water sector.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region risks becoming uninhabitable in a few decades, as accessible fresh water has fallen by two-thirds over the past 40 years. A recent study by FAO showed that higher temperatures may shorten growing seasons in the region by 18 days and reduce agricultural yields a further 27% to 55% less by the end of this century. Fresh water now amounts to 10 times less per capita availability than the worldwide average. The region’s fresh water resources are among the lowest in the world, and are expected to fall over 50% by 2050. Moreover, 45% of the total agricultural area is exposed to salinity, soil nutrient depletion and wind water erosion

Water utilities in the region are now facing also the new challenge of a brain drain. According to Khaldoun Khashman, from the Arab Countries Water Utilities Association (ACWUA), even if water and financial resources were available, managing water utilities in the absence of skilled and qualified people is a challenge. The Arab Water Week thus aims to  tackle water management issues through establishing innovative partnerships and platforms of collaborative work on water issues in the region.

Resources: FAO Pamphlet  |  Arab Water Week Program