Shaikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Water Resources Council, inaugurated the Global Water, Energy and Climate Change Congress (GWECCC), held under the slogan (Water Sustainability and Energy Transition: Implications on GCC & the World).
The congress will review the challenges and opportunities available for investing in water sustainability, preserving natural resources in the GCC states, and learning about the best techniques and modern technology, with the participation of 130 speakers from 30 countries.
The deputy prime minister affirmed the support of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the follow-up of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for all initiatives aimed at enhancing water sustainability, raising the efficiency of its production, and taking the necessary international measures to adapt to the environment and climate challenges.
He praised the government policies taken within the framework of protecting and developing water resources to ensure their proper exploitation for various purposes, including the approval of the National Water Strategy 2030 and its implementation plan in accordance with the GCC Unified Water Strategy (2016-2035) that is periodically monitored by the Water Resources Council.
The Deputy Prime minister said that the congress presented a good opportunity for professionals to discuss mechanisms for investing in water sustainability, pointing at the existing coordination between the GCC states in organizing specialised events that would be hosted during the year, including the Middle East and North Africa Climate Week (MENACW) scheduled for October in Riyadh, and the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) scheduled for November in Dubai.
Dr. Mohammed bin Mubarak Bin Dinah, Minister of Oil and Environment and Special Envoy for Climate Affairs, expressed his appreciation to the Deputy Prime Minister for his patronage of the congress, which embodies the government’s keenness to support the efforts to preserve natural resources through implementing environmental initiatives and programmes, in addition to plans aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
Bin Dinah stressed the efforts to reduce the increasing climate challenges, presenting innovative solutions to reduce its impact, and achieving results and benefits that accelerate the pace of transition to a low-carbon economy.
On the sidelines of the congress, Shaikh Khalid bin Abdullah opened the accompanying exhibition in which more than 20 specialised companies and a number of universities and organizations participated, to display the best modern technical solutions in the field of water, energy, climate change and related studies.
GWECCC is organised by the Ministry of Oil and Environment and the United Nations Environment Programme, in cooperation with the Water Resources Council, ICONEX Global and a number of local, regional and international organisations.
It aimed at providing necessary means for GCC, Asia and the Middle East to exchange expertise in developing water resources, ensuring their proper exploitation and focusing on the mutual relationship between water, energy and climate change.
