Connect with us

Latest News

KFAS hosts high-level panel on global water scarcity crisis

Published

on

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) held a panel discussion on Tuesday addressing the pressing global issue of water scarcity, shedding light on its far-reaching consequences and highlighting potential solutions. The session was attended by representatives from the UAE Embassy in Kuwait, the United Nations and its agencies, along with regional and international experts.

In a press statement, KFAS emphasized the urgent need for water scarcity to be treated as a global priority, citing its direct threat to human security, environmental sustainability, and socio-economic development. The panel was inaugurated by UAE Ambassador to Kuwait Dr Matar Al-Neyadi, who underscored the importance of international collaboration in tackling the escalating crisis. Dr Al-Neyadi referenced a UAE-sponsored research paper presented in 2023, titled “Consecutive Repercussions: Water Scarcity – The Hidden Threat to the World’s Security and Prosperity.” The paper outlines the urgent need for coordinated global action, warning that more than 2.2 billion people are already affected by insufficient access to water.

“The accelerating severity of water scarcity is an alarming global development that demands a unified and decisive response,” Dr Al-Neyadi said. He warned that inaction could result in humanitarian disasters, including mass displacement, economic collapse and armed conflict. He outlined the wide-ranging consequences of water scarcity, such as inadequate access to clean drinking water, food insecurity, deteriorating sanitation, disease outbreaks and ecosystem degradation. “No country is immune to the cascading effects of this crisis,” he added.

Dr Al-Neyadi also pointed to key drivers exacerbating the crisis, including rapid population growth, urbanization, inefficient agricultural practices, insufficient infrastructure for water distribution and desalination, and the impacts of climate change such as rising temperatures and erratic weather patterns. Despite its critical importance, water scarcity received only 6 percent of media and public discourse between July 2022 and July 2023, he noted, underscoring the objective of the session to raise awareness on this global issue.

He proposed a multi-pronged approach to mitigation, including investment in water storage and transport infrastructure, adoption of technologies such as desalination, wastewater reuse, atmospheric water extraction, and cloud seeding. He also advocated for improved irrigation techniques, public education on water conservation, and adoption of water-efficient appliances. Representing the United Nations in Kuwait, Acting Resident Coordinator and WHO Representative Dr Asad Hafeez described water scarcity as “one of the most urgent and complex challenges of our time,” especially for arid regions such as the Gulf.

Dr Hafeez highlighted ongoing UN initiatives, including the appointment of the first-ever Special Envoy for Water and the prioritization of water issues at international conferences such as COP16 on desertification and COP29 on climate change. He pointed to the UN’s Integrated Monitoring and Response Initiative, which has strengthened data collection and tracking progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6 (clean water and sanitation).

Citing positive developments, Dr Hafeez noted that water-use efficiency increased by 19 percent between 2015 and 2021, while access to safely managed drinking water rose from 69 percent to 73 percent. However, he cautioned that the world remains off track to achieve SDG 6 by 2030, with 2.2 billion people still lacking access to clean water and over 5.3 billion lacking adequate sanitation.

He also pointed out that global water stress levels have risen by 3 percent since 2015 and that only 43 of 153 countries with shared water basins have effective cooperation agreements in place. Additionally, water-related development aid declined by 5 percent between 2015 and 2022, further hampering global progress. “To close these gaps, we must act across five priority areas,” Dr Hafeez stated, highlighting the need for better-targeted investments, robust data systems, enhanced capacity-building, adoption of smart technologies, and strengthened cross-border governance.

He reaffirmed the United Nations’ commitment to advancing water security in Kuwait and globally, calling for inclusive efforts to secure sustainable water access for future generations. The session concluded with a series of panel discussions featuring diplomats, researchers, and water experts from organizations including Kuwait University, the World Bank, the United Nations, and KFAS, fostering dialogue on regional and international strategies to mitigate water scarcity. — KUNA

Latest News

Kuwait Commerce Min.: Protecting industrial system is Nat’l responsibility

Published

on

By

 KUWAIT: Minister of Commerce and Industry, and Chairman of the Public Authority for Industry (PAI) Khalifa Al-Ajeel said on Monday that protecting the commercial and industrial system is a “national responsibility that requires concerted efforts.”

Minister Al-Ajeel emphasized in a statement to KUNA following an extensive inspection campaign in the south Amghara scrap yard, to “firmly deal with all violations and encroachments in accordance with legal frameworks where no one is above the law.”

No Image

Al-Ajeel confirmed the continuation of inspection campaigns as well until the desired goals are reached, foremost being is restoring order and discipline to the area and removing all violations and encroachments.

He affirmed the ministry and the PAI’s commitment to cooperating with relevant authorities to continue these campaigns to ensure a safe and organized industrial and commercial environment.

The campaign resulted in the seizure of several violations and closure of several non-compliant units in preparation for taking necessary legal action against their exploiters.

Participating in the campaign was General Fire Force (KFF) Chief Major General Talal Al-Roumi, along with several executive leaders from the PAI. — KUNA

 

Continue Reading

Latest News

Human Rights Committee session begins with focus on Gaza, regional challenges

Published

on

By

CAIRO: The 56th regular session of the Arab Permanent Committee for Human Rights commenced on Monday with the participation of Kuwait and representatives from Arab states concerned with human rights affairs. In his opening address, Ahmed Maghari, supervisor of the Human Rights Department at the League of Arab States, underscored the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, calling it a stark indicator of the region’s human rights reality. “We cannot speak of the state of human rights without acknowledging the catastrophic conditions faced by our brothers in Gaza, where securing the most basic necessities has become a matter of survival,” he said. Maghari described the ongoing Zionist aggression in Gaza as a profound moral and humanitarian challenge, noting that the Palestinian people continue to endure daily suffering under constant bombardment, displacement and destruction. He lamented the international community’s continued inaction in the face of clear violations of international law and human rights norms. “The occupying power persists in defying international legitimacy and the decisions of the General Assembly, the Security Council, and the International Court of Justice,” he said.

Held at a time of mounting regional tensions, the session comes amid escalating challenges that directly affect fundamental human rights. Maghari highlighted the Committee’s historic role since its establishment in 1968 in developing the Arab human rights framework both legally and practically, while also fostering cooperation with regional and international partners. He expressed hope that the session would yield effective recommendations to help confront the pressing challenges in the region. He pointed to the rise of conflicts and violence globally, along with the resulting serious human rights violations, as major concerns.

Emerging issues such as the intersection of human rights with climate change, artificial intelligence, and the spread of alien ideologies that undermine human dignity were also noted. “In light of these challenges, we must reinforce our solidarity and collective action to enhance peace, stability, and the security of our societies,” Maghari added. The two-day session, chaired by Ambassador Talal Al-Mutairi, Chairman of the Arab Permanent Committee for Human Rights, will review the General Secretariat’s report on the implementation of previous recommendations up to the 55th session.

Discussions will also focus on Zionist violations in occupied Arab territories, the plight of Arab prisoners and detainees in Zionist prisons, and the issue of the bodies of Palestinian and Arab martyrs held in so-called “numbered cemeteries.” Other agenda items include the Arab Charter on Human Rights and preparations for Arab Human Rights Day, which will be observed on March 16, 2026. Kuwait is represented at the meeting by a delegation led by Assistant Foreign Minister for Human Rights Affairs Ambassador Sheikha Jawaher Ibrahim Al-Duaij Al-Sabah.— KUNA

Continue Reading

Latest News

Crown Prince receives Egyptian Deputy PM

Published

on

By

KUWAIT: His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah received on Tuesday at Bayan Palace the Egyptian Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Transport and Industry, Lieutenant General Kamel Abdulhadi Al-Wazir, and his accompanying delegation on the occasion of their official visit to the country. The meeting was attended by Kuwait’s Minister of Public Works Dr Noura Al-Mashaan and Egypt’s Ambassador to Kuwait Osama Shaltout.– KUNA photos

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2025 SKUWAIT.COM .