The Minister of Oil joined the Executive Secretary of the Climate Change Convention

Minister of Oil, with the participation of the Executive Secretary of the Climate Change Convention, lays down the basis for the two projects of The National Oil and Gas Authority for the Wetland Water Treatment Project to benefit from 29.2 million cubic meters of accompanying water and the Hunainiyah reserve in the Kingdom of Bahrain on an area of 610 hectares...

H.E. Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Minister of Oil, inaugurated on Tuesday evening, 16 October 2018, the Wetland Water Treatment Project on an area of 110 hectares in the Sakhir area and the 500-hectares in the south of the Kingdom of Bahrain for Hunainiyah Project. Where there was a wide participation of officials from the Kingdom of Bahrain government and a number of executive heads of oil companies under the umbrella of The National Oil and Gas Authority (NOGA) and the presence of H.E. Ms. Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.     

H.E. the Minister of Oil said that the launch of these two projects in the field of adaptation with the climatic changes and their adverse effects on the Kingdom of Bahrain, come to highlight the vital role played by the oil sector in contributing to the national efforts to combat negative impacts to the phenomenon of climate change in the Kingdom, and they reflect the role played by the oil sector in regulating the use of the resources available in the oil sector and working to sustain them, especially water.

H.E. the Minister of Oil also praised the pioneering role played by the Kingdom of Bahrain at the regional and international levels in addressing the climate change phenomenon, which captures the greatest interest in the discussions of presidents and ministers in forums and meetings. 

In addition to being one of the most important natural means of water treatment, wetlands are one of the most important habitats with aquatic ecosystems that create the livelihoods of distinct flora and fauna groups, especially waterfowl, emphasizing the importance of wetlands to environmental and political aspects of the international level.

Moreover, H.E. the Minister said that the Wetland Water Treatment Project is located on an area of 110 hectares to create a natural water treatment system through the removal of pollutants through a range of natural processes mediated by complex interactions between water, plants, micro-organisms, soil, gravel and air. The project will help improve the capacity of the Bahraini water sector to adapt to climate change through the use of new innovative technologies to treat wastewater amounting to 80,000 cubic meters, and reduces groundwater extraction and supplement groundwater recharge. Wetland technology provides a natural and sustainable solution to the environment and the oil and gas sector. Through which this project will reduce the release of 100,000 tons of CO2 per year due to water injection operations in deep wells.

H.E. the Minister noted that water in the Kingdom of Bahrain is being seriously threatened by the effects of climate change, including sea level rise, which has resulted in saltwater intrusion into aquifers, higher temperatures and greater rainfall intensity, causing lower rates of return to the groundwater layer.

On the other hand, H.E the Minister gave the opening speech about the Hunainiyah Project, which is located on an area of 500 hectares, which will be carried out by NOGA and its companies as part of their corporate social responsibility to rehabilitate the Hunainiyah region, which has shrunk because of the depletion of water resources during the last century. Until 1960, this region is known for its greenery and its sweet waters, attracting various birds, and because of climate change and desertification, this region has become a desert.

H.E. the Minister added that the environmental benefits of this project are the use of water produced in irrigation for agriculture and landscaping, including green surfaces, the cooling of the surrounding area and the creation of a man-made value-added habitats for migratory and resident birds and other wild animals, as well as making the region attractive for ecotourism and environmental education.

Moreover, H.E. the Minister of Oil said that this project will help to address the negative impact of climate change phenomena by taking advantage of treated effluent that can be reused. This project will create an attraction for ecotourism and environmental education, and will also create a valuable human-made habitat for migratory and resident birds and other wildlife. According to biologists, more than 64 species of birds feed or flatter in the cane beds, of which at least 13 species reproduce in or around these wetlands.

H.E. the Minister of Oil said that this launch aims to reflect the extent of the oil commitment to the community and to enhance the synergy of the efforts of the oil sector with national actors to implement the national initiative to protect biodiversity in Bahrain's economic strategy 2030 and the efforts of the government towards achieving the 17 sustainable development goals, in particular the sixth goal on water, the thirteenth goal of combating climate change, and the fifteenth goal of life on land.

Afterwards, H.E. Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Minister of Oil, and H.E. Ms. Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, lay the foundation stone for the Wetland Water Treatment Project and the Hunainiyah Project.