RIYADH, 12 March 2003 — Water problems in the Gulf countries are the result of a lack of water, a lack of good management, and a lack of appropriate procedures, Dr. Walid Abdurahman, chairman of the Scientific Committee, told the final day of the Gulf Water Conference here yesterday.
“Efforts at rectifying the water shortage have been directed at the depletion of underground resources. To continue in this unsustainable way will expose the GCC countries to a series of crises,” he added.
Dr. Abdurahman presented a list of recommendations that emerged from the papers and discussions at the conference over the last four days. He said the recommendations, to be forwarded to the government, formed the basis of a new structured and holistic approach to addressing the serious problem of water shortages in the Gulf states.
They emphasized the need for a well-researched balance between water use and sustainability, and reflected what delegates saw as a lack of coordination between the various specialist academic and engineering disciplines. They also aimed at increasing the proportion of desalinated water in the system and a greatly increased use of recycled and purified wastewater in agriculture and industrial processes.
Included was a call for an expansion of private sector involvement in the investment in water and sewage systems. However, the government was urged to provide “an enabling environment that included both incentives and properly developed regulatory systems.”
Research and development was an essential part of the proposals, reflecting a suggestion from one delegate that the government should dedicate at least one percent of GDP to water research.
The proposals also included a move to involve the public in decisions about water. “There should be greater involvement of both the commercial and private users of water in the decision making process in water issues,” the recommendations said.
They also addressed the sensitive issue of food security, traditionally a fundamental part of every Saudi five-year plan. “We should create a balance between water and food security at all costs,” they said.
Dr. Amin Barzanji, faculty member of the College of Sciences at King Saud University, said that the recommendations were a positive step, but he felt that while the public awareness campaign was a good idea, it needed upscaling.
“We have to use all the media to get the message across — television, radio and programs fed into schools. The way to raise awareness for the next generation is to reach the children now,” he told Arab News.
