World Water Council Governors' Meeting Opens in Doha

Doha, June 28 (QNA) - The World Water Council's (WWC) 45th Board of Governors two-day meeting which started here Thursday is discussing key global issues like managing resources, conservation, using sustainable technologies, policy and co-operation with Qatar. WCC President Loic Fauchon, governors, alternates and observers top officials from Qatar National Food Security Programme (QNFSP), the hosts, are attending the conference which will also advance Qatar's candidacy to host the 9th World Water Forum in 2018. Speaking to the media Fauchon said, "This is the first time we are holding this meeting in Qatar. We are honoured to be hosted by the State of Qatar and the QNFSP. The Council is the most important global body for water issues and it comprises 70 governments and over 350 international organisations. We are the voice of water and we try to convince political leaders as well as economic stake holders to give top priority to water issues which are critical for arid regions like Qatar." In his welcome address to the Governors' meeting today, QNFSP Chairman Fahad bin Mohammed Al Attiya, reiterating Qatar's commitment to the Council's mission, said, "The World Water Council bears the utmost importance to us in Qatar. The challenges are acute for those of us who come from the world's driest places, where drinkable water is a precious resource and arable land a rare gift." The chairman reaffirmed Qatar's commitment to the Council s mission to build a world in which water resources are valued, managed wisely and made affordable to all people. "In this critical enterprise, you can count on our full and sustained support," he said. "More than a partner, the State of Qatar actually stands as a friend and as an ally of the World Water Council." Listing Qatar's priorities, the chairman said, "We are committed, within the next 20 years, to making our country water and food secure using sustainable technologies. This is the mandate of the QNFSP." He highlighted Qatar's key multilateral initiative called the Global Dry Land Alliance (GDLA) - a collaborative effort of arid and semi-arid countries to tackle the threats of climate change, food insecurity and on other challenges like developing emergency and disaster response mechanisms for water crisis. He also mentioned about UN Climate Change Conference meetings COP18/CMP8 to be hosted by Doha this November and another conference on Food Security in the Dry Lands, in partnership with several institutions including FAO, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development IFAD and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (QNA)