The UAE, represented by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, participated in the second edition of the International Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development” 2018-2028, organised by the government of Tajikistan, in cooperation with the United Nations (UN), from 6th to 9th June, 2022.
The country’s delegation was led by Yousef Al Ali, Assistant Undersecretary for the Electricity, Water and Future Energy Sector at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure.
During his speech, Al Ali stressed that the objective of the event is to encourage action and water synergies and help implement the Sustainable Development Goals 2030, the Paris Climate Agreement and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
The UAE is a leading country both regionally and globally in the field of securing water, energy and food supplies, highlighting the country’s relevant efforts and strategies, and noting that in 2017, it launched the National Energy Strategy 2050, and in 2018, it launched the UAE National Water Security Strategy 2036 and the National Food Security Strategy, Al Ali said.
Relevant national authorities have modernised the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036, as part of the efforts to keep pace with local and international developments, he added. The UAE is a major global producer of desalinated water, and current federal policies in the water sector focus on ensuring sustainable water supplies and increasing the use of sustainable energy sources in the water sector, he stressed.
Al Ali explained that membrane technology used for desalination is expected to be adopted in 54 percent of the country’s water desalination systems by 2036, which will help reduce carbon emissions from the sector by 100 million tonnes, affirming that the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure is working with its local and international partners to develop advanced membrane desalination projects, which will play a key role in improving the efficiency and sustainability of desalination plants.
The UAE is prioritising the efforts to address climate change, and in 2021, it launched its strategic initiative to achieve carbon-neutral by 2050, which is a national initiative aimed at reaching zero emissions by 2050, he said in conclusion.
Source: Ministry of Energy Infrastructure Development
