ABU DHABI: The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI) of the United Arab Emirates and Korea’s Ministry of Environment convened for the 7th meeting of the Joint Operation Committee for Water Resource Cooperation. This meeting aimed to exchange the latest technologies and experiences in water management and to enhance collaboration in related fields.
According to Emirates News Agency,the meeting was co-chaired by Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at MoEI, and Seunghwan Lee, Director-General for Water Use Policy Bureau of Korea’s Ministry of Environment. Al Olama emphasized the importance of water as a crucial factor for life, ecosystems, and economies, highlighting the UAE’s commitment to water management despite its desert environment. He pointed out the UAE’s efforts in developing the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036, which aims to ensure sustainable access to safe and adequate water supplies.
The collaboration between the UAE and Korea, according to Al Olama, serves as
a successful model for achieving global climate targets and future sustainable water and energy goals through innovative technologies, knowledge exchange, capacity building, and best practice benchmarking. Seunghwan Lee noted that the two nations have been collaborating since signing an MoU in 2015, with previous meetings focusing on discussing and implementing joint initiatives in the water sector.
Presentations during the meeting included future initiatives from the UAE on smart water network management and management of surface water, flash floods, and dams. Korean experts shared their expertise in floating photovoltaic projects and policies and technologies for early warning systems for urban flooding, showcasing Korea’s advancements in water management technologies.
