Arab League Secretary-General: Arab water security requires sustainable investments and enhanced cooperation to address scarcity

Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy affirmed on Monday that achieving Arab water security requires shifting from crisis management to proactive and sustainable water resource management, and enhancing Arab cooperation to confront the challenges of scarcity and climate change. This statement was made in a speech by Fahmy, delivered on his behalf by Assistant Secretary-General for Media at the Arab League, Ambassador Ahmed Khatibi, at the Seventh Arab Water Conference held in Cairo under the theme “Water in the Arab Region: Partnerships for Peace and Sustainable Development.”

Fahmy stated that “water has become a strategic issue linked to security, stability, food security, energy, health, the economy, and the future of development in the region,” noting that the Arab region faces growing water challenges due to the expanding scope of drought, population growth, urban expansion, and rising water demand, alongside the pollution, depletion, and degradation of groundwater resources.

He called for making water scarcity a catalyst for innovation, improved management, and changes in consumption and production patterns, emphasizing the need to enhance usage efficiency, reduce losses, develop irrigation systems, reuse treated water, expand desalination in a measured manner, protect groundwater, and leverage technology and artificial intelligence in water resource management.

Regarding transboundary waters, Fahmy stressed that managing shared resources requires strengthening dialogue, cooperation, data and information exchange, and building trust among riparian states, insisting that “water should be a bridge for cooperation and peace, not a factor of conflict and tension.” He also called for strengthening “Arab water diplomacy” as a tool for dialogue, resolving disputes, developing shared interests, and adhering to relevant principles of international law to ensure fair and reasonable use of resources without causing harm to the interests of other states.

Fahmy considered the Arab Water Security Strategy an important framework for coordinating efforts and linking water issues to sustainable development goals, noting that it has been updated to keep pace with economic, demographic, climate, and technological changes. He viewed the real challenge as transitioning from general visions and principles to measurable programs, projects, and outcomes by strengthening the follow-up on the implementation of the strategy and its action plan, prioritizing actions, mobilizing resources, and coordinating efforts among Arab states and specialized institutions.

Fahmy called for placing climate change at the core of discussions on the future of Arab water, especially given rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, increasing drought, and extreme weather events. He pointed out that addressing these challenges requires developing early warning systems, improving drought and flood risk management, enhancing infrastructure resilience, integrating climate scenarios into water planning, and developing non-conventional water sources while considering economic, environmental, and energy needs.

He also highlighted the Arab region’s scientific and technical expertise, specialized institutions, human capacities, and successful experiences that can serve as a foundation, calling for a shift from exchanging expertise to integrating it, from individual projects to joint Arab programs, and for localizing innovation and technology.

In this regard, he called for strengthening partnerships with the private sector, financing institutions, universities, research centers, and regional and international organizations, prioritizing water sector financing in the development and investment agenda, developing bankable projects, and leveraging climate finance instruments to support adaptation and enhance water resilience. The Secretary-General affirmed that the Arab League would continue to support joint Arab efforts, strengthen the role of the Arab Water Ministers Council, coordinate efforts at regional and international forums, support the implementation of the Arab Water Security Strategy and its action plan, encourage the exchange of expertise, and enhance partnerships and investment in the water sector. Fahmi stressed that “the current stage requires moving from scarcity management to future-oriented management, from competition over resources to cooperative management and utilization, and from temporary solutions to long-term investments to enhance resilience and achieve sustainability.” He emphasized the importance of translating the conference’s outcomes into practical programs, projects, and initiatives that would strengthen Arab water partnerships, make water cooperation a driver of peace and stability, and a catalyst for sustainable development in the region. Fahmi expressed hope that the conference’s deliberations would yield a renewed practical vision, effective partnerships, and actionable initiatives that contribute to enhancing Arab water security. (End) M.M. / N.A.A.