DUBAI, The International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) and the National Oil and Gas Authority (NOGA) of the Kingdom of Bahrain have joined forces to enhance institutional capacities in integrated water resources management in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The ICBA and NOGA inked an agreement to this effect during a virtual meeting hosted by NOGA on 24th June, 2021.
The agreement was signed by Dr. Tarifa Alzaabi, Acting Director-General of ICBA, and Nasser Sultan Al-Suwaidi, CEO of NOGA, in the presence of various partners and stakeholders.
Under the agreement, the ICBA will provide technical support for ongoing activities to strengthen the Water Resources Council (WRC). Chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, the WRC is a Cabinet-level inter-ministerial organ of the government responsible for coordinating water policy formulation and implementation. The activities under the agreement will broaden the WRC’s functions and enhance its role in climate risk management and wastewater recycling, treatment and reuse.
Commenting on the agreement, Dr. Alzaabi said, “Improving water accountability, water-use efficiency and water conservation are necessary conditions for achieving water security. A key entry point is applying the principles of integrated water resources management to holistically balance competing demands for water. This forms the basis for sustainable utilisation of water resources for both current and future needs.”
Dr. Alzaabi added, “The particular component on capacity development in integrated water resources management plays to our strengths as an organisation.”
Al-Suwaidi said, “This agreement was signed in the context of the Kingdom’s water sector development, with the project’s scope including the development of institutional capacities of government sector employees in integrated water resource management (IWRM) that will aid in the management of water resources as a whole, which is considered one integrated network.”
The agreement was signed in the context of strengthening the institutional capacities of Bahrain’s government departments to implement climate change adaptation strategies across the water sector.
The overarching goal is to equip relevant institutions with the means to conduct water resources monitoring and assessments; generate information and knowledge using relevant analytical tools and models, and provide evidence to support decision-making processes.
The partnership between ICBA and NOGA is part of the project titled “Development of an Enabling Environment for Water Demand Management”, which is supported by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and is implemented by the government of the Kingdom of Bahrain through NOGA.
Source: Emirates News Agency