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It aims to be a center of excellence for advanced scientific and technical cooperation at the regional level and a permanent venue for the implementation of the latest training programmes in water resources planning and management.
The Academy offered its first programme in June 2009 on Water Governance. Several senior advisors, policy makers and leaders from various public, private sector and civil society organizations participated.
The Water Diplomacy programme will give the 40 participants a forum to discuss why countries should consider sharing waters that cross international boundaries. Senior officials from several Arab countries will be participating and will receive the opportunity to develop their practical diplomatic skills in negotiation, mediation and communication.
"The lack of water resources and the competition over the shared use of transboundary water resources could be a major source of conflict," said HE Majid Al Mansouri, Secretary General of EAD.
"Around 70% of the Arab region's water, such as rivers, aquifers and seas, are shared across international borders. To avoid conflict, these resources and their distribution must be managed carefully to ensure the interests of the countries involved are protected,"
he said.
Al Mansouri added that this is not the Arab world's problem alone, and that there are more than 245 common rivers in the world relied upon by nearly 40% of the world's population and 50% of arable land. However, there is no international agreement on the law governing the non-navigational uses of those water resources. Therefore, building capacity in water diplomacy is essential to develop a deeper understanding of the issue.
He said participants in the Water Diplomacy programme were carefully selected to include experts from different organisations such as ministries of water and ministries of foreign affairs.
The Academy appointed its first director to ensure that the Academy builds on the strengths already established. Prof Asma El Kasmi takes up the position on November 1st and aims to bring a wealth of international water education experience to the Academy.
She said "In recent years, the amount of water available per person in the Arab region has declined dramatically and per capita water share is projected to fall by half around 2050. Today, 11 Arab countries suffer from water scarcity and this number is anticipated to reach 18 by 2025. The projected negative effects of climate change will not make our situation any better. The 2008 International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report anticipates for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region declining rainfall (-10 to -25%) and increasing evaporation"
Prof. El Kasmi said: "Decision-makers in the MENA region are facing a very complex situation arising from declining resources coupled with increasing and often competing demands. Not to make the task any easier, 60% of the region's water flows across international borders. Facing and addressing these combined challenges require that high priority be given to human capital development of decision-makers working in the water sector as well as in the associated fields".
"The Academy's executive education programmes will continue to be designed to support lateral thinking and encourage water managers to see beyond their narrow specializations. Water management is as multidisciplinary as running a modern business enterprise. Success requires engaging relevant stakeholders, integrating different ways of thinking and increasing transparency" she added.
Prof. El Kasmi said "We can be proud that our Arab governments have encouraged and invested in training excellent hydraulic engineers. Innovative, efficient and effective technologies and infrastructures are very important. However, equal focus needs to be directed towards water economics, water politics, water diplomacy and water democracy."
She emphasized "Decision-makers in the Arab world are facing a very complex situation arising from declining resources coupled with increasing and often competing demands. Water is at the center of political discussions and more attention needs to be given to effective communication skills and negotiation strategies."
Prof El Kasmi added "The Arab Water Academy will maintain an Arab identity that creatively bridges the gap between water technology and water governance. I am confident that we can benefit from the impressive Arab legacy we hold in hydraulics and water management to achieve sustainable development in our region."
David Grey, Senior Water Advisor at the World Bank, said "Water is life, nowhere is this truer than in the Arab Region. This is the world's driest and most water-scarce region, where the average amount of water for each inhabitant is only 15% of the world average."
"The region's rainfall and surface water are limited and unreliable and over half of its river flow originates from outside the region. The region is more dependent on groundwater than any other, and much of this is derived from fossil - that is non-renewable - aquifers. Yet 90% of the region's available water resources are today consumed by irrigated agriculture, which in no country contributes more than 20% of GDP and in some places only 5%. This leaves only a tiny fraction of available water resources for domestic and industrial use" he added.
Dr. Grey stressed that the rapid growth of populations, cities and economies over the past century in the Arab Region has outpaced the ability of its society to adapt, as it has in many other parts of the world. He added that in the Arab region, water resources are being overexploited and both water quantity and quality are deteriorating; groundwater resources are particularly threatened.
Dr. Grey said that the Arab Water Academy is a grand idea at an important time in an arid region with a long history of water innovation. It is a region that is no longer at the forefront of water management. It is a region where a new generation of water leaders and water innovations is essential if the challenges of today are to be overcome and the threats of tomorrow are to be faced.
"The Arab Water Academy sets out to build a new generation of water leaders, equipped to address the political, economic and social dimensions of water management, not only the technical dimensions of water development," he added.
From October 25-27, the Academy will also offer a Remote Sensing for Water Management programme. Throughout this programme, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will work with leading Arab organizations that use satellite imagery. Participants will be shown new ways of generating data on water resources above and below the ground. This new information will help decision makers to make more informed decisions when it comes to water.
The Academy will also offer a Leadership for Water Governance Development programme from November 15-19. Through this programme, participants will explore ideas on how to develop a country's water governance system.
From December 7-10, the Academy will offer a programme on Water Demand Management. It will introduce ideas on policies, regulations, and management strategies that might be used in Arab countries to reduce demand for water from agriculture, industry and households.
More About the Arab Water Academy
The Academy was established in 2008 in cooperation with the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) and the International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA). Its establishment was supported by H.H Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Honorary Chairman of EAD. It is supported by the Arab Council of Water and the relevant international institutions such as the Islamic Development Bank and the World Bank. The Academy aims to become a regional center of excellence for executive education in water. It will enhance capacity building in the water sector by offering inter and intra-sectoral capacity building programmes and peer-to-peer networking/mentorship opportunities.
Posted by Nadeen El Ajou
