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Arab Water Academy Organizes A Water Diplomacy Programme |
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The Arab Water Academy, which was launched in July 2008, will offer a Water Diplomacy programme, under the theme Sharing Water, Sharing Benefits, from October 11-13, 2009. The Academy, which was established in cooperation with the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) and the International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) is supported by the Arab Council of Water and the Islamic Development Bank and the World Bank. It aims to be a center of excellence for advanced scientific and technical cooperation at the regional level and a permanent venue for the implementation of the latest training programmes in water resources planning and management. The Academy offered its first programme in June 2009 on Water Governance. Several senior advisors, policy makers and leaders from various public, private sector and civil society organizations participated. The Water Diplomacy programme will give the 40 participants a forum to discuss why countries should consider sharing waters that cross international boundaries. Senior officials from several Arab countries will be participating and will receive the opportunity to develop their practical diplomatic skills in negotiation, mediation and communication. “The lack of water resources and the competition over the shared use of transboundary water resources could be a major source of conflict,” said HE Majid Al Mansouri, Secretary General of EAD. “Around 70% of the Arab region’s water, such as rivers, aquifers and seas, are shared across international borders. To avoid conflict, these resources and their distribution must be managed carefully to ensure the interests of the countries involved are protected,” he said. Al Mansouri added that this is not the Arab world’s problem alone, and that there are more than 245 common rivers in the world relied upon by nearly 40% of the world’s population and 50% of arable land. However, there is no international agreement on the law governing the non-navigational uses of those water resources. Therefore, building capacity in water diplomacy is essential to develop a deeper understanding of the issue. He said participants in the Water Diplomacy programme were carefully selected to include experts from different organisations such as ministries of water and ministries of foreign affairs. The Academy appointed its first director to ensure that the Academy builds on the strengths already established. Prof Asma El Kasmi takes up the position on November 1st and aims to bring a wealth of international water education experience to the Academy. She said “In recent years, the amount of water available per person in the Arab region has declined dramatically and per capita water share is projected to fall by half around 2050. Today, 11 Arab countries suffer from water scarcity and this number is anticipated to reach 18 by 2025. The projected negative effects of climate change will not make our situation any better. The 2008 International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report anticipates for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region declining rainfall (–10 to –25%) and increasing evaporation” |
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