Qatar's Bid to Host 2018 World Water Forum is Strategic, Says QNFSP Chief

Doha, June 28 (QNA) - Qatar is working hard to win the bid to host the ninth World Water Forum in 2018 since water resources, conservation and recycling are critical issues for the country and the region, Qatar National Food Security Programme Chairman Fahad bin Mohammed Al Attiya said Thursday. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the 45th Board of Governors meeting of the World Water Council convened in Doha today, Al Attiya said, "Qatar's prospects of winning the bid to host the World Water Forum in 2018 are good and we are trying our best. It is part of Qatar's strategy to cover water issues and consider them at policy and technical levels. This totally conforms to the Qatar National Vision 2030 policy. "Qatar is one of the countries in the world with the least water resources. It is a critical area and it (the Forum) does not come as an accident. We focus on such events because these are events of strategic interest to the State of Qatar." Agreeing that Qatar ranks high on the list of per capita household water consumption rates in the world, he said, "It boils down to water value. Most of the tools, systems and appliances we use at the domestic, office and commercial levels tend to be less efficient. Therefore, Qatar launched the Tarsheed (water conservation) initiative a few weeks ago. Tarsheed led by Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) will start putting legislations and regulations in place, not only on consumption but also on the systems used by builders and architects. Talking about the scope of Tarsheed, Fahad Al Attiya cited the example of an inefficient gadget that would be replaced by efficient one. He said, "Consider water taps which do not have electronic trippers. All such gadgets will change and that will have an impact on the amount of water we consume." On the scope of recycling water, Fahad Al Attiya said, "Every drop of water has to be valued in this country. We cannot waste any drop of water, whether it is primary i.e the water which comes from the desalination plants or secondary i.e the water that we produce as a result of our usage. Of that will have to be used one way or the other. We are working with Ashghal (Public Works Department), Kahramaa, Kahraba and all other partners." On QNFSP's role, he said, "The QNFSP is an initiative launched by HH the Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who is very keen co-ordinating these different plans so that we can produce a comprehensive integrated framework that all the different government agencies can work through to achieve water and food security by 2024." On how to curb consumers behaviour, Fahad Al Attiya suggested, "People should use water only as much as they need. For instance while brushing teeth people should not leave the tap open or washing car with a bucket of water and not a water hose. These are very minimal measures, but they have a huge impact. "If everyone keeps the tap open while brushing teeth, then overall there would be significant water loss. So we can do our bit to conserve water by using appliances and techniques that help save water. It is Tarsheed's responsibility to make people aware and understand the importance of conserving water." On the probability of levying charge for water and electricity usage, Fahad Al Attiya said, "Water has to have a certain value. In fact it is more valuable to us then oil, gas and petrol. If you go to the petrol station and pay for the petrol you use then why don't we pay for water. "Having said that, one needs to understand that this region and the people of the country never had access to water resources before. Therefore, the right to access water has come as result of the total absence of access to water before the desalination plants came. "Moreover, the population of Qatar that has the right to water actually constitutes a very little fragment of the total consumers. Although it is not significant by numbers, it is still significant that we have to consume water more efficiently and wisely." The QNFSP chairman said people should understand the value of water even if they did not pay for it. He said people should think about the most efficient way of designing the water system or recycling the water for their homes. "For instance, why should gray water go back to the grid ? he asked. "It could be captured at home and used for gardening or washing car. "All such small acts can help you become more efficient, even if you don't have to pay for it. School children also need to be made aware about the value of water. They should know what are the water resources, where it comes from, all people should have this perspective." Asked why water and electricity are an entitlement for citizens, Fahad Al Attiya stressed to the media the historical background on why water is an entitlement for citizens of Qatar. "Today they enjoy this right because for many centuries, not decades, they lived in such a desperate situation. There was no electricity and no water. Therefore, these utilities come as an automatic entitlement since they have suffered hardships in the past. "Today we don't have these hardships that the previous generations faced. And we want to make sure that we act responsibly. It is not a punitive measure. We don't want people to think of this as a measure to stop them from having access suffered for centuries due scarcity. "It is simply a recognition of the value of the precious resource. That recognition could be symbolic or it could be represented by the fact that your home is equipped with the right system otherwise you will be charged. It can be defined in many ways, but this for the Kahramaa to decide how to tackle water and electricity issues." (END)