BEIRUT, June 19: The State of Kuwait assumed on Monday the chairmanship of the Water Resources Committee of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA). Acting Undersecretary of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Electricity and Water, Eng. Maha Al-Asousi, chaired the Water Resources Committee in its 15th session, succeeding the State of Palestine, the 14th session chair. In a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on the sidelines of the conference, Al-Asousi affirmed Kuwait’s great keenness to hold meetings, actively attend and activate the work of the committees to serve the goals of sustainable development and achieve advanced goals in water issues in the Arab region. She pointed out the importance of UNESCWA meetings reaching recommendations that refl ect the positive side to solve any problem that our countries may face in water issues and the transfer of expertise and technical support during meetings and discussions.

Al-Asousi said that UNESCWA discussed issues of water security in the Arab region, improving groundwater management, financing the water sector and the progress made in implementing the sustainable development goals related to water in the Arab countries. She added that she also discussed the activities related to water resources undertaken by UNESCWA within the framework of its program of work and the advancement of climate change issues in the water and energy sectors. For his part, UNESCWA Secretary Karim Khalil said in a statement to KUNA that the State of Kuwait’s presidency of the Water Resources Committee gives it a greater role in supporting the implementation of the committee’s recommendations, indicating that the water issue is central to the State of Kuwait and is a threat facing all countries in the Arab region.

Khalil stressed that the UNESCWA Water Resources Committee represents the regional hub for decision-makers and discusses water challenges facing Arab countries and how to formulate mechanisms to deal with these challenges. He stressed the importance of cooperation and coordination between Arab countries in water issues, because water challenges have a regional and cross-border dimension, as 65 percent of the water resources in the Arab region come from outside the Arab borders. The Director of the Chemical Works Department and the Acting Director of the Water Facilities Department, Eng. Sarah Al-Mutairi, participated in the representation of Kuwait, in addition to representatives of UNESCWA member states and some international and regional organizations and institutions and relevant civil society organizations. (KUNA)