Officials of the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water have met with representatives of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, FAO, to discuss the organisation’s initiative for sustainable management of water resources in the region.
During the meeting, Mariam Saeed Hareb, Assistant Undersecretary for Water Resources and Nature Conservation at the UAE ministry, and Pasquale Steduto, Deputy Regional Representative at the FAO Regional Office for Near East and North Africa, along with a group of experts discussed the current situation of water resources in the UAE, as well as a report on water laws in the country.
The “Regional Initiative on Water Scarcity in the Near East”, launched by FAO in 2013 to provide preliminary regional review and gap analysis of the region’s water resources, seeks to support member countries in identifying and streamlining policies and best practices in agriculture water management, and beyond.
The initiative distinguishes between “supply-side” options, aiming at increasing the volumes of water available for food production, and “demand-side” options that focus on efficient use of water for food production.
Sustainable water resources management and enhancing the strategic water reserves are among the priorities of the UAE Vision 2021.
