Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture and Science concluded a sub-regional virtual seminar on the occasion of the launch of the United Nations World Water Development Report 2021 (UN WWDR 2021) entitled "Valuing Water".

A number of institutions in the State, UNESCO Associated Schools, the National Commissions for UNESCO in the GCC countries, and the UNESCO World Water Assessment Program (WWAP) took part in the seminar which was organized in cooperation with the UNESCO Regional Office for the Gulf States and Yemen in Doha and Qatar University.

In a speech on the occasion, Director-General of Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture and Science Dr. Hamda Hassan Al Sulaiti said that the United Nations marks the World Water Day each year on March 22 aiming at raising the awareness on the importance of water and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 which calls for ensuring access to water and sanitation for all.

Dr. Al Sulaiti noted that the UN WWDR 2021 issued on this occasion every year in order to evaluate the situation of water. Therefore, the Commission organized this important seminar in order to engage all stakeholders in the results, the policies and the recommendations included in the report, providing an overview on the current situation of water as well as the challenges and opportunities at the local and sub-regional levels.

Dr. Al Sulaiti highlighted the achievements made by the State of Qatar in the pursuit of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 to achieve water security, and indicated that the State is keen on the fruitful international cooperation and confirms its commitment to confronting water-related challenges and other common issues.

For her part, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Doha Anna Paolini explained that the report indicates the value of water from the perspective of health, access to safe drinking water and sanitation services, noting that these various aspects of the value of water were evident during the COVID-19 pandemic as more than 3 billion people and two out of every five health facilities lacked services and hand cleaning facilities.

Meanwhile, Vice-President of Qatar University for Research and Graduate Studies Dr. Mariam Al Maadeed stressed the importance of the seminar as an opportunity to raise the awareness and adopt cooperative policies and programs to promote the value of water and ensure food security for the coming generations.

She noted that the seminar comes in the context of Qatar University's vision to achieve impactful research in the field of water sustainability, rationalization, desalination, treatment and support for its sources, in line with the vision of the State of Qatar which places water security at the top of its priorities.

Eng. Ali Saif Al Malki, Advisor to the President of Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (KAHRAMAA) for Water Affairs, explained the role of KAHRAMAA in providing vital service to various sectors and jobs, improving water quality and ensuring its sustainability and accessibility to all residents in the country, and achieving the sustainable development in its four pillars (human, social, economic and environmental), in accordance with Qatar Vision 2030.

(QNA)