Dushanbe: Yasser bin Ibrahim Humaidan, Minister of Electricity and Water Affairs, participated in the 4th High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action, "Water for Sustainable Development" (2018-2028). The conference is held in Dushanbe, the Republic of Tajikistan, from May 25 to 28.
According to Bahrain News Agency, Minister Humaidan stated that the Kingdom of Bahrain is committed, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to supporting international efforts to enhance water security and sustainable water management. He emphasized Bahrain's recognition of the importance of international cooperation to address water and climate-related challenges, focusing on sustaining critical infrastructure and prioritizing water security as a key component of sustainable development.
The Minister highlighted Bahrain's initiatives to maintain the operational efficiency of water systems following significant damage to one of its main desalination plants due to Iranian attacks on critical infrastructure in Bahrain and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries. He underscored the need to continually safeguard water infrastructure to ensure sustainable water supplies and the continuity of essential services.
Minister Humaidan also stressed adopting an integrated approach to water security, which includes diversifying water and energy sources, expanding treated water reuse projects, replenishing groundwater reserves, and establishing strategic water reserves to enhance adaptability to future changes.
The Kingdom is actively pursuing national plans to improve water and energy efficiency, develop supportive legislation, and policies for sustainable water resource management, ensuring future generations have sustainable water supplies and supporting comprehensive development goals.
At the conference, Minister Humaidan presented Bahrain's recommendations, which included enhancing the protection of critical water infrastructure, fostering international cooperation, exchanging expertise and modern technologies, supporting desalination innovation, increasing renewable energy use, and developing early warning systems for water resource sustainability.
He advocated for expanding international and regional cooperation in the water sector to develop efficient, sustainable, and climate-resilient water systems, helping achieve sustainable development goals globally and regionally.
During his visit, Minister Humaidan also met with Daler Juma, Minister of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan. They discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation in electricity, water, and sustainable energy, and explored mutual interests to support joint efforts, technical expertise exchange, and successful experiences between the two nations. The discussions also focused on cooperation prospects in sustainable water management and enhancing critical water infrastructure readiness to tackle environmental and climate challenges, aligning with this year's conference themes.