The United Nations Holds Saudi Arabia in High Esteem as Global Leader in Water Resource Management
The United Nations “UN-Water” committee has selected the Kingdom as a global leader in achieving the 6-5-1 water resources management index within Sustainable Development Goal 6. This recognition comes in light of the Kingdom’s progress in this field. The preparatory workshop to study the Kingdom’s success in accelerating integrated water resource management under SDG 6 was inaugurated by the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture Deputy Minister for Water, Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Shaibani in Riyadh. The workshop was attended by 40 participants from various sectors including government, international organizations, civil society, academia, and the private sector.
Dr. Al-Shaibani highlighted that this selection is an international acknowledgment of the progress made by the Kingdom, aligning with Vision 2030 and the National Water Strategy 2030, especially in the field of integrated water resource management. The UN committee is working on a case study to document the Kingdom’s experience, aiming to share it with other countries to benefit from the Saudi approach to water resource management and encourage global efforts to achieve SDG 6.
The workshop discussed the initial results and key messages of the UN committee’s case study on the Kingdom, focusing on leveraging successful cases and best practices in water management in Saudi Arabia to accelerate the achievement of the target. The global indicator for SDG 6 shows a slowdown in reaching its goals by 2030. The deputy minister emphasized that the success case study adopts a comprehensive approach reflecting the interconnections between various sectors such as environment, agriculture, energy, and health, facilitating the identification of opportunities and enhancing integration among these areas, particularly in creating the enabling environment for effective water management, including engaging the private sector. Countries included in studies are selected based on data provided by relevant UN agencies, and case study reports are launched during the annual UN High-Level Political Forum in New York in July each year.
UN-Water is a coordinating committee under the United Nations, comprising 36 UN entities as “members” and 48 other international organizations as “partners,” working in the areas of water and sanitation to ensure a coordinated and effective response to global water challenges.
