As part of its ongoing efforts to foster regional dialogue on environmental and sustainable development issues, the Centre for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE), in cooperation with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation States Broadcasting Union (OSBU), organized a webinar entitled “Water Management: Challenges and Opportunities.” The event was held as part of the joint webinar series aimed at promoting knowledge exchange and raising awareness of key environmental and development issues.
The webinar featured a keynote presentation by H.E. Dr. Mohamed Abdel Aty, Former Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of Egypt and Senior Regional Consultant/ Water Resources Management at CEDARE, who provided a comprehensive overview of the major challenges facing the water sector at the national, regional, and global levels. He also highlighted opportunities for advancing sustainable water resources management, presenting the latest practices and applications in water conservation, water reuse, seawater desalination, and the use of modern technologies and artificial intelligence to enhance water management systems. Dr. Abdel Aty emphasized that innovation and regional cooperation are fundamental pillars for achieving water security and sustainable development.
The webinar was opened with remarks by Dr. Omar El Badawy, Water and Land Resources Management Consultant at CEDARE, who delivered the Centre’s opening statement on behalf of H.E. Dr. Khaled Fahmy, Executive Director of CEDARE. In his remarks, he reaffirmed CEDARE’s commitment to promoting regional dialogue, knowledge exchange, and capacity building in the fields of environment and sustainable development through scientific events and interactive platforms that bring together experts and decision-makers to share experiences and best practices.
This was followed by remarks from Dr. Amr El-Leithy, President of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation States Broadcasting Union (OSBU), who underscored the vital role of the media in raising environmental awareness and promoting responsible water resource management. He noted that the partnership with CEDARE represents a successful model for disseminating knowledge and highlighting priority environmental issues, thereby supporting regional efforts to achieve water security and sustainable development.
The webinar concluded with an interactive discussion session that brought together a wide range of experts and specialists from across the Arab region. Participants exchanged views on the key challenges facing the water sector and explored innovative solutions to strengthen sustainable water resources management, contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and enhanced regional cooperation.
