SIWI is present at the International Water Summit in Abu Dhabi, which takes place 15-17 January, 2013, as a part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. The summit gathers the leading minds from the global water community in policy, business and science to accelerate the development of sustainable water solutions for arid regions, with the water-energy nexus as a focal point.
SIWI’s Executive Director, Torgny Holmgren, is moderating a Panel Discussion on Strategic Water Resource Management. The discussion highlights water as an essential element for socio-economic development and maintaining healthy eco-systems. How may water resource management be approached to optimise available resources?
SIWI’s Chairman Peter Forssman is participating in a Workshop on the Future Challenges Affecting Water Availability, identifying the depletion, allocation and distribution challenges that arid regions face, and project how they may develop in the coming years climate change is a key factor affecting water availability.
Read more about the summit here.
Some of the key messages from the summit are:
- Water is more important than oil for the United Arab Emirates.
- Water and energy are mutually dependent for production and distribution.
- Massive investments in solar energy are planned to manage desalination plants in the Gulf area.
- Cooperation beyond the sector limits within food, energy and water is essential to combat poverty and increase life quality globally.
- Valuing and pricing water is difficult but crucial to provide incentives for people to economise with water resources.
- Energy production is built up on water supply when accessible, but other solutions have to be found when water is not accessible.