'Region Needs Tailored Solutions To Unique Climate Challenges'

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Ayeni Olusegun | The Peninsula

Doha, Qatar: The Minister of Environment and Climate Change H E sheikh Dr. Faleh bin Nasser bin Ahmed bin Ali Al Thani said challenges in water, energy and environmental resources in the region are unique and require tailored solutions and research to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Speaking at the opening of the third International conference on Sustainable Energy-Water-Environment Nexus in Desert Climates (ICSEWEN'23), Dr. Faleh said challenges of desert and arid lands are multifaceted and called for more efforts to mitigate climate change and its challenges facing countries as well as the impacts to economies, ecosystems, and way of life.

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Middle Eastern countries are among the states most exposed to the accelerating impacts of human-caused climate change, including soaring heat waves, declining precipitation, extended droughts, more intense sandstorms and floods, and rising sea levels.

According to the minister, one challenge of the region is meeting water demand, which in the Gulf means a reliance on desalination for drinking water from the sea, which is economically expensive and energy-intensive. He added that the conference, which coincides with the ongoing Expo 2023, highlights Qatar's interest in supporting innovation and solutions to climate and sustainability challenges that affect water, energy and food security.

Minister of Environment and Climate Change H E Sheikh Dr. Faleh bin Nasser bin Ahmed bin Ali Al Thani addressing the conference.

“This conference will discuss innovative solutions, and we hope to have fruitful outcomes that will help mitigate the impacts of climate change and promote environmental and economic sustainability in Qatar,” he added.

President of Kahramaa Eng. Essa bin Hilal Al Kuwari said the conference will tackle many vital topics to do with the challenges and sustainability of resources.

He stressed that the depletion of resources and the impact on the environment should be considered, especially with the rapid growth in world population.

Eng. Al Kuwari said more than two billion people live without clean water, while nearly 700 million lack access to electricity. He said there has to be a balance and fair use of resources and adoption of policies by governments and organisations to achieve the energy, water and environment nexus.

He said Qatar has applied optimum use of these resources as laid out in the Qatar National Vision 2030, while the responsibility is on Kahramaa to ensure water and energy are well utilised as part of the water and energy security measures. Eng. Al Kuwari said Kahramaa will soon adopt a strategy on renewable energy, which is in its final phase.

Former Minister of Energy and Industry, H E Dr. Mohammed Saleh Abdulla Al Sada said water, energy and environment nexus are individually essential elements with strong interdependency and impact on one another.

“Water is essential for producing energy and food, and energy is necessary for producing, treating and distributing water. Food production depends on an environment with clean water and sustainable energy resources. This nexus is closely tied to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and achieving each goal, which relies on the same pool of resources without considering the requirement of other goals, threatens the sustainability of resources,” Dr. Al Sada said.

He stressed that Qatar, like much of the region, faces the same issue of water scarcity due to inadequate rainfall, groundwater depletion and the high cost of desalination. Dr. Al Sada said groundwater extraction had increased threefold from 2016 to 2021, leading to a reduction in seawater intrusion, water quality deterioration and increased aquifers salinity.

“Government recognises the strategic importance of water, energy and environment for our country's sustainable development. The QNV 2030 articulates our country's commitment to building a knowledge-based economy emphasising research and innovation in various sectors, including water, energy and environment.”

Co-chair of the Conference and Director of QEERI Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, said the world is witnessing changes and unprecedented transformations in local, regional and international climates, as a result of global warming. He said the conference will analyse solutions and present recommendations to policymakers.

The four-day conference will cover several topics, including energy transition, water resources, operations and developments, environmental pollution and mitigation, innovative solutions for the fuel and gas sector, sustainability and technical solutions.

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