HE Dr. Amna Al Dahak Emphasizes UAE’s Commitment to Address Water Scarcity and Integrate Solutions into Global Social, Economic, Environmental Security

On behalf of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, Her Excellency Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, led a distinguished delegation to the Republic of Tajikistan. The delegation participated in the third international conference on the implementation of the International Decade for Action on ‘Water for Sustainable Development 2018-2028’. This conference took place from 10 to 13 June 2024 as part of the “Dushanbe Water Process”, under the patronage of His Excellency Emomali Rahmon, President of the republic of Tajikistan.

HE Qohir Rasulzoda, Prime Minister of Tajikistan, welcomed HE Dr. Amna Al Dahak and her accompanying delegation, in the presence of HE Dr. Mohammed Al Ariqi, UAE Ambassador to Kazakhstan and non-resident Ambassador to the republic of Tajikistan.

At the outset, Her Excellency conveyed greetings from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court. Her Excellency extended the UAE Leadership’s wishes for continued progress and prosperity to the leadership of the Republic of Tajikistan and its people.

His Excellency, the Prime Minister of Tajikistan conveyed his greetings to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Chairman of the Presidential Court, and conveyed his wishes to the UAE government and wished the people further development and progress.

The two sides also explored opportunities to strengthen bilateral cooperation across various sectors, especially in developing the water resources, renewable energy, environmental sustainability, climate change mitigation, transportation, and logistics services.

Speaking at the conference, Her Excellency commended global initiatives aimed at advancing water sustainability, emphasising the UAE’s commitment to identifying effective solutions for addressing water scarcity and integrating them into social, economic, and environmental development agendas, as well as global peace and security efforts.

Commenting on the UAE’s efforts to strengthen water security, Her Excellency said: “The UAE has shown deep commitment for water conservation. This year, on February 29th, His Highness the President of UAE, launched the ‘Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative’ to combat the global challenge of water scarcity. The initiative aims to enhance awareness about the water crisis and its seriousness at the global level. It also aims to develop innovative technological solutions and test their effectiveness in addressing the worsening water challenge around the world.”

Her Excellency also added that the UAE will host the United Nations Water Conference for the year 2026, in cooperation with the Republic of Senegal.

On the sidelines of the conference, HE Dr. Amna Al Dahak also held a meeting with His Excellency Bahadur Sher Alizadeh, Chairman of the Committee for Environmental Protection of Tajikistan. The discussions centred on exploring avenues for strengthening cooperation and sharing expertise in environmental conservation, water treatment technologies, and renewable energy initiatives.

Her Excellency also met with His Excellency Mickey van Ginken, the Special Envoy for Water for the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and lauded the efforts of The Netherlands in hosting the UN Water Conference in 2023 in collaboration with Tajikistan. Her Excellency also emphasized the UAE’s aspiration to build on the outcomes of these global conferences that contribute to enhancing international cooperation in achieving sustainable development goals.

The UAE delegation included representatives from government entities and the private sector, including the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the AD Ports Group and Masdar.