المملكة: An international praise of the Saudi experience in managing water resources

The Kingdom stressed the importance of strengthening international cooperation in the field of water, and facing the challenges of the water sector around the world, in addition to the need to implement the integrated management of water resources, to achieve its sustainability and overcome the effects of water scarcity and develop its resources.
This came during the Kingdom’s participation in the “Water value community” forum held in the Italian capital, Rome, to discuss the most important challenges facing Italy in the water sector such as the effects of climate change, the decline in groundwater levels, and the need to develop modern technologies to ensure the sustainability of water resources.
The Kingdom reviewed its pioneering experience of the integrated department of water resources, in light of the difficult climatic conditions it faces, dealing with its most prominent achievements and experiences in this field.

Comprehensive water development

It shed light on the “abundance in the shadow of scarcity”, which it succeeded in applying it through innovative national strategies to reach comprehensive water development.
The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture for Water, Dr. Abdulaziz Al -Shaibani, said that the Kingdom’s 2030 vision has paid great attention to water resources, and made sustainable water development an essential part of the comprehensive development process.
He pointed out that the scarcity of water resources for the Kingdom imposed the need to adopt comprehensive strategies to improve the efficiency of water, to achieve a balance between supply and demand, enhance water sustainability, and the National Water Strategy 2030 seeks to develop alternative sources of water, reduce dependence on non -renewable underground water resources, through water desalination, improve the efficiency of distribution networks, and reduce water losses.

Unconventional water sources

Dr. Al -Shaibani explained that the Kingdom has adopted early, relying on unconventional water sources -such as desalination of sea water -as it is a strategic choice to counter the scarcity of natural water resources, cover its needs of drinking water, and provide sustainable water sources, which made it the largest producer of desalinated water in the world.
He added that she took many steps to maintain water resources, such as implementing treated water reuse projects, especially in the industrial and agricultural sectors, with the aim of reducing pressure on unjustified groundwater, and enhancing the operational efficiency of water networks.

The Kingdom’s efforts in the field of water

The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Water pointed to the efforts of the Kingdom in the field of water, its participation in a number of initiatives, such as the Group of Twenty, and its cooperation with the relevant international organizations.
He pointed to the great investment opportunities available in the water sector in the Kingdom, especially with regard to the role of the private sector in supporting water projects, through partnerships, investment in advanced technologies, in addition to scientific research and water infrastructure.
At the end of his work, the forum praised the Saudi experience in the integrated management of water resources, and came out with several recommendations to enhance water security in Italy, the most prominent of which was the call to increase investments in water infrastructure, as well as coordination and exchange of experiences between countries, in a way that contributes to developing more sustainable solutions to water resources management.