Electricity Minister receives UN Resident Coordinator

Manama, July 28 (BNA): Electricity and Water Affairs Minister Dr. Abdukhussain Mirza received United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bahrain Amin Al-Sharqawi, who was accompanied by Dr. Waleed Khalil Zabari, Professor of Water Resources Management at the Arab Gulf University and Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the Water Resources Council. Both sides discussed holding of a workshop on water sustainability strategy in Bahrain, being organised by the United Nations Office in cooperation with specialised bodies such as the Food and Agricultural Organisation, UNESCO and ESCWA. Dr. Mirza expressed his appreciation to the United Nations Office for its initiative to organise the event to consolidate the concepts of ways to meet the water challenges and train water professionals to achieve water sustainability. The Minister said Bahrain, under the guidance and attention of its wise leadership, has taken great strides in cooperating with its GCC brothers to develop a unified water strategy up to 2035. He said the government has established a Water Resources Council under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa and a number of ministers concerned to work at the highest administrative level for the sustainability of water resources. Mr. Sharqawi said that the most water scarce areas in the world are the Arab region, pointing out that the scarcity of water compared to the consumption of the individual will continue to increase in light of population growth and climate change. He stressed the importance of teamwork and its significant impact in addressing challenges such as climate change and shared water resources. He also praised the efforts of the Water Resources Council and the minister to work on a unified water strategy to meet the United Nations goals for sustainable development. He thanked the minister for his support and keenness to provide guidance that would lead to further progress and achievement with regard to the partnership between the electricity, water and renewable energy sectors and the United Nations to achieve the desired goals.