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Under the theme ‘Industry Convergence: Accelerating Sustainable Development’, Abu Dhabi
Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2019 gathered to explore how industries are responding to the digital
transformation underway in the global economy, which in turn is giving rise to new opportunities to
address global sustainability challenges. With this in mind, Masdar has produced the Future of
Sustainability whitepaper report – in partnership with The National – based on information provided by
students, individuals, companies and governmental organisations actively driving sustainability-related
innovation across the planet.

TECHNOLOGY FOR GOOD encompasses the idea that tech boasts vast potential to do good for society,
and can enhance people’s living conditions. The term was first coined in the 1990s when web
developers joined forces with everyday people at events, often on weekends, where they worked
together to hack solutions to social challenges, seeding hundreds of ideas and prototypes. Today, tech
for good covers a community of people, projects, organisations and funders promoting the role of
technology to improve social, environmental and economic outcomes – and it’s bigger than ever.
Companies use something called the Triple Helix of social innovation to enhance tech-for-good’s value.
According to the Nominet Trust paper, The Triple Helix of Social Tech Innovation, the word ‘triple’ covers
the types of value (economic, social and user) that social-tech ventures need to articulate, develop and
evidence in order to blossom into successful, sustainable social ventures operating at scale. The word
‘helix’, meanwhile, describes the way these values converge at different stages of the venture’s
development, pointing to the ever-changing nature of the ways in which these values are shared and
showcased as time progresses. There are now numerous accelerator programmes for social-tech
startups, as well as funding for charities and organisations that want to use their tech to benefit power,
water, people, and the earth. The tech-for-good ecosystem has grown into a bustling marketplace of
needs, problems and solutions and, far from being static, as it progresses it will change. That is why
many active developers, researchers, scientists and engineers stress the importance of continually
asking ‘what is tech for good?’ as this will help society ensure that the field remains inclusive and
continues connecting people and projects.
A CHEAP WAY TO REDUCE WASTEWATER
In 2018, AbilityNet’s Tech4Good Awards revealed the Water Watcher, developed by four home-
educated students, Alex Lynch (16), Elye Cuthbertson (14), Atticus Ticheli (12), and Saul Cuthbertson (9).
Looking to offer an easy, inexpensive solution to running taps and water wastage, the device was part of
an engineering competition, with the students inspired to find a solution to a problem that one of the
team was experiencing. Being dyslexic and encountering memory lapses, one of the boys behind the
design forgot to turn the tap off once, flooding a friend’s bathroom. A small device that fits on any tap,
the Water Watcher is activated by the vibrations of the water, using a timer and alarm system to alert
the user if the tap is left on too long. Using a BBC Micro:bit with an accelerometer to sense vibration, a
battery pack, a simple speaker and a silicone coin purse (to protect it from water), the device doesn’t
need plumbing and can be strapped onto any sized faucet. The device’s potential to save water and
prevent flooding has been recognised by organisations such as Thames Water, WaterWise and the
Alzheimer’s Society, with a company interested in taking the Water Watcher into production.

SOLAR MICROLEASING
A 2018 Business Tech article reported on a South African buy-to-lease solar startup that recently
received a $500,000 seed investment from Alphabit, a multi-million dollar hedge fund. The Cape-Town
based business, Sun Exchange, announced a partnership with the UN Development Programme to pilot
blockchain-based finance for solar in Moldova in May 2018, and a partnership with Leonardo DiCaprio-
backed Powerhive in July 2018, with the latter facilitating funding for “six fully operational solar projects
in South Africa through its solar micro-leasing platform” according to the article. “The projects power
organisations such as schools, small businesses, wildlife protection parks and non-profits,” the article
continues. “The company is currently running a crowd-sale for its seventh project, which will solar
power Sacred Heart College in Johannesburg, South Africa. By leveraging the borderless, decentralised
nature of cryptocurrency, Sun Exchange enables practically anyone, anywhere in the world, to buy into
their solar projects and receive a stream of monetised sunshine from the power generated by the
projects.” The article adds that “Sun Exchange also recently introduced SUNEX, its own digital rewards
token, which can be earned to get discounts on the Sun Exchange marketplace and can be staked into a
ground-breaking solar project insurance fund”.
In a 2018 article, Felicia Jackson, author and founding editor of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, says
that local data is key to future sustainable development, with our focus needing to “urgently shift
towards providing investors with the information they need to commit sufficient funds and create
conditions within which local markets can grow to rise to the challenge” of climate change, keeping the
United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in mind.
“First and foremost,” Jackson writes, “this means providing stable, reliable, standardised and
comparable data to guide investment decisions. Second, it means taking a more holistic approach to
how we assess the impact of business decisions, looking across the pillars of action to achieve the SDGs
and accelerating domestic ownership of knowledge and entrepreneurial growth in local markets.
Evidence, knowledge and local understanding are critical to achieving this.”
Jackson adds, “Recognition of the systemic impact of our economic choices is also vital. That means
building knowledge of investment and performance in energy and climate change, water, agriculture,
electrification and mobility, biotech, as well as facilitative technologies from the Internet of Things (IoT)
to Artificial Intelligence (AI). The only way to really do this effectively over time is at a local level, where
people have a visceral understanding of how the world around them is changing. We cannot succeed at
this without finding new ways to access, analyse and assess the data underlying financial decisions and
their impact.”
“At SOAS University of London, we are developing a project that aims to transform that situation, with
the launch of the non-profit Climate and Sustainable Finance Data Initiative,” Jackson, who is a teaching
fellow at the university, writes in her article. “This initiative is intended to be a global network, owned
and operated by research centres in member countries around the world (from Burkina Faso to
Bangladesh).”
A standardised database will be shared between members, ensuring the robust and methodical
collection of data in domestic markets. The initiative will provide up-to-date tracking of the developing
stock of private and public actors’ commitments in sustainable and climate finance. The database will
include both quantitative and qualitative data, providing researchers around the world with a wealth of

original data to research and analyse. The Climate and Sustainable Finance Database will enable
researchers, practitioners and others with an interest to see not only how much public and private
money is flowing to and from developing and transition economies, but also understand both positive
and negative impacts, enabling factors, and barriers.
“This information can, in turn, be used to accelerate further flows of finance and enhance the
effectiveness of existing investment,” Jackson writes. “Critically, the initiative will provide database and
research training as well as digital learning on climate and sustainable finance to centres in the
developing world. The long-term goal is for domestic research groups to become centres of climate and
sustainability entrepreneurship, sharing financial and business models which work for specific markets.”

Masdar has signed a strategic agreement with global infrastructure and energy development company Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd. to support the commercialization of low-energy reverse osmosis seawater desalination plants in the Middle East, North Africa and Asia.

The agreement was signed by Hyo Joon Joo, Senior Vice President, Daewoo E&C, and Bader Al Lamki, Executive Director, Clean Energy, Masdar, on the sidelines of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2018, one of the world’s largest sustainability gatherings.

The commercial agreement lays the groundwork for the commercialization of the advanced reverse osmosis desalination technology, which will be developed under Masdar’s Renewable Energy Desalination Pilot Programme in Ghantoot, Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with the KORAE Research Group, which includes Daewoo E&C.

The KORAE Research Group was launched in June 2016 with the support of the government of the Republic of Korea (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport) through the KAIA (Korean Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement) as it is a follow-up measure of a summit meeting between Republic of Korea and the United Arab Emirates.

KORAE Research Group will become Masdar’s sixth international partner under the programme, which was launched in 2013 and first inaugurated in November 2015. The programme provides a test-bed for the development of innovative and advanced desalination technologies to help bridge the gap between promising desalination technologies developed in the lab and solutions ready to be applied in commercial settings.

Hyo Joon Joo, Senior Vice President of Daewoo E&C, said: “Water is the most important resource of mankind. To resolve freshwater shortage occurring around the world, investing in water technology development should be a top priority for mankind. Partnering with Masdar, who is the regional leader and a major international player in renewable energy and sustainable urban development, will be a great opportunity and strength to develop and commercialize the advanced seawater desalination technologies. In future, Daewoo E&C looks forward to cooperating with Masdar in various clean energy fields and around the world.”

Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, said: “Investing in the desalination sector is of critical importance as the global demand for freshwater is growing rapidly while freshwater reserves are shrinking. Partnering with industry leaders like Daewoo E&C, who have a vast range of construction and industry experience, will accelerate the development and commercialization of sustainable desalination technologies critically needed to enhance water security in the region.”

Daewoo E&C is an international leader in the engineering and construction of large infrastructure projects in numerous industries. Through this agreement and in collaboration with Masdar, Daewoo E&C hopes to expand its business activities to include seawater desalination.

With water security becoming one of the most imposing long-term challenges for many countries, the Global Clean Water Alliance – H2O minus CO2 launches in Paris as a collaborative global climate initiative and one of the key components to the Lima Paris Action Plan. The Alliance has an initial group of more than 80 signatories and was officially ratified on 26 November 26 2015.

As a founding signatory, Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, is encouraging governments; energy, water and related industry stakeholders - including laboratories and research organisations; universities and NGOs to join the Alliance.

With access to drinking water already a major challenge for as much as one quarter of the world’s population, and further forecasts predicting that by 2030, 47% of the global population will face water scarcity, The Global Clean Water Desalination Alliance – H₂0 minus CO₂is one of the few climate initiatives dealing with the water-energy nexus and climate change.

The Alliance’s goal is to seek solutions that will substantially reduce the projected increase in CO₂ emissions from the desalination process, as global demand for drinking water continues to grow. The Alliance’s action plan could see a decrease in emissions from 50MTCO₂ up to as much as 270MTCO₂ per year by 2040.

The action plan includes obtaining amplified commitment by all Alliance members to use clean energy sources to power new desalination plants and to retrofit existing plants, whenever possible. Further focus is on improved energy efficiency of desalination processes, increased efforts on R&D and demonstration projects, better dissemination of innovative technologies, capacity building and analysis and formulation of adequate policies and regulatory frameworks. The concept note of the Alliance underlines that the initiative will ensure the sustainability of the entire desalination process is taken into account beyond the sole issue of energy sources.

“The government of the UAE has long recognised the potential impact of climate change on the future of the country and the region. The UAE was in fact the first country in the region to set renewable energy targets and has recently announced a commitment to increase clean energy to 24% of the country’s total energy mix by 2021,” said Dr Ahmad Belhoul, CEO of Masdar.

“Recognising our responsibility in helping to ensure water and energy security, Masdar’s association with the Alliance, clearly demonstrates our dedication to transforming the climate change narrative. As one of the most water-scarce countries on the planet, the UAE is investing heavily in cutting-edge technologies to improve the energy efficiency of the desalination process. This is an integral part of Masdar’s remit as we continue to provide a platform for the development and deployment of renewable energy and low-carbon technologies locally, regionally and globally – while creating a new clean energy growth-generating sector in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the greater UAE,” he added.

"IDA is proud to be a founding member of the Global Clean Water Desalination Alliance. We have long been a champion of environmental responsibility in desalination practices including lower energy consumption and an increase in the use of renewable energy to power desalination, resulting in the reduction of CO2 emissions. This has been a goal of IDA's Energy and Environmental Task Forces, and we believe that the GCWDA initiative will bring us ever-closer to realizing this objective," said Patricia A. Burke, IDA Secretary General.

"Access to water of the populations of the South and many other areas even in industrialized countries will be secured in the future due to renewable energy and innovation,” said Jean Louis Bal, President, Syndicat des Energies Renouvelables, France.

Masdar is leading innovation on water desalination through the development and activation of advanced and innovative desalination technologies with significantly enhanced energy efficiency. Masdar launched a groundbreaking pilot seawater desalination programme earlier in November, targeted to dramatically reduce the energy intensity of desalination. The project offers four viable solutions for renewable-powered energy efficient desalination, transforming the desalination industry into a more sustainable model that can be used across the globe. Phase one of the programme will concentrate on demonstrating energy-efficient systems on a small scale for at least 15 months. These technologies have never been used on a utility scale anywhere in the world.

Stakeholders from industry, research institutions, universities and other organisations from the following countries have already pledged support to the Alliance including: Australia, Belgium, China, Comoros, France, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the USA and Singapore.

• UAE delegation, organised by Masdar, concludes successful week of discussions with international community in Republic of Korea

The UAE concluded its participation in the 7th World Water Forum alongside 30,000 international government leaders, industry experts and policy makers. The Forum, held in the Republic of Korea from April 12^th to the 17^th, focused on addressing the increasing global water security challenge.

The high-level UAE delegation, led by His Highness Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi, played an important role in identifying and advancing solutions aimed at ensuring a sustainable water future.

His Excellency Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State and Chairman of Masdar, delivered a keynote speech during the World Water Forum’s opening ceremony urging nations to unite and act in ensuring global water security.

Dr Al Jaber remarked: “Over the next decade, two thirds of the world’s population could face water shortages. Tackling water security is a global challenge that will require a global response. The UAE is ready to work with you to address our shared responsibility, to exchange ideas, drive commercial solutions and forge a pathway toward global water security.

“Over the next 15 years, the UAE’s demand for water is estimated to double; however our leadership is responding with calculated and strategic actions that place resource security on-top of our country’s economic development agenda. These actions will ensure that all of our country’s water resources are sustainably managed.”

Throughout the Forum, the high-level UAE delegation shared the country’s various strategies and policies aimed at improving water conservation, production and consumption. HE Dr Rashid Bin Fahad, UAE Minister for Environment and Water, outlined the how the country intends to reduce its water consumption by 30 per cent by 2030 through the ‘Green Growth Strategy,’ a federal framework for economic growth and social development through sustainable initiatives.

The delegation also shared the UAE’s commitment to advance and adopt innovative technological solutions to enhance the availability of potable water, such as renewable energy powered desalination and advanced hydroponics techniques. The delegation also highlighted STEP, Abu Dhabi’s Strategic Tunnel Enhancement Programme, which when completed in 2016, will be one of the largest gravity-driven hydraulic wastewater network tunnels in the world.

The UAE played an important role in shaping the Forum’s Ministerial Process, a day dedicated to Ministerial roundtables, panels and discussions. Held on 13 April in Gyeongbuk, the UAE delegation participated in three roundtable discussions alongside the global community to devise collective solutions for water scarcity. HE Dr Rashid Bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water, discussed the UAE’s progress in integrated water resource management, highlighting investments in water conservation technology, enhanced regulation of groundwater extraction, and advanced irrigation technology underscored by the Ministry’s water conservation strategy.

The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Energy, HE Dr Matar Hamed Al Neiady elaborated on the UAE’s approach to addressing the inherent linkages amongst water, energy and food production and transportation.

HE Dr Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Permanent Representative of the UAE to IRENA and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Directorate of Energy and Climate Change, also contributed to the Ministerial discussions by sharing historical examples of water management in the UAE as well as key educational and capacity building initiatives currently undertaken by various UAE entities in relation to water.

On the side-lines of the Forum, the UAE delegation held a series of sessions entitled ‘The United Arab Emirates – Innovating to Advance Water Security.’ The sessions, attended by the Forum guests and media, offered an in-depth view of various UAE innovative initiatives promoting water security.

Ms Alya Al Mazroui of the National Centre of Meteorology & Seismology presented the UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science. The initiative is a first of its kind grant programme that promotes research and development to enhance rainfall yields and in turn, freshwater supplies. Ms Mazroui explained that the programme, which offers a grant of US $5 million dollars over a three-year period to be shared by up to five winning research proposals locally and internationally, is a platform for innovation, driving the development of techniques to improve the efficiency and predictive capabilities of targeted cloud seeding operations.

Mr Mohammad El Ramahi of Masdar shared the company’s innovative solution to decrease costs and the environmental impact of desalination, Masdar’s renewable energy powered desalination pilot programme. The pilot project, launched in January 2013 and currently under construction in Ghantoot, Abu Dhabi, will aim to identify industrial-scale and commercially viable desalination technologies to address sustainable access to water. Masdar’s technology partners for the pilot include Abengoa Water, Suez Environment, SIDEM/Veolia and Tevi Systems, an innovative California-based start-up.

Dr Taha Ouarda of Masdar Institute discussed adaptation to climate variability and change for the sustainable management of water resources. Dr Taha elaborated on how shifting environmental conditions warrant new modelling methods for sustainable management.

Dr Al Jaber, commenting on the UAE’s participation in the Forum said: “The UAE is dedicated to developing transformative solutions to address the global water challenge. Our participation in the Forum underscores our unwavering commitment, as global citizens, to drive commercial solutions and to collectively forge a pathway toward global water security.”

The UAE delegation to the 7th World Water Forum, organised by Masdar, included representatives from the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Environment & Water, Federal Electricity & Water Authority, Executive Affairs Authority, National Centre of Meteorology & Seismology, Masdar Institute of Science & Technology, Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi, Dubai Electricity & Water Authority, Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority, Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company, Regulation and Supervision Bureau, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, and the United Arab Emirates University. 

Representatives from the United Arab Emirates’ delegation to the 7^th World Water Forum in the Republic of Korea briefed international media on the vital water challenges the UAE faces and how the country is addressing the issue through a mix of policy, innovation and technology solutions.

The panel, headed by HE Dr Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Permanent Representative of the UAE to IRENA and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Directorate of Energy and Climate Change, drew media from the Republic of Korea, India, the Middle East, and Europe and included representatives from the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD), Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company, the National Centre of Meteorology & Seismology, and Masdar. Dr. Al Zeyoudi set the scene for the discussion by outlining the UAE’s approach to water security and emphasising its importance to the nation.

To commence the discussion, Dr. Al Zeyoudi commented, “As a country in an arid climate with a rapidly growing population, our leadership has set an ambitious target to reduce our water consumption by 30 per cent, by 2030. As you will hear today, this is a goal we are committed to achieve through a mix of conservation practices, innovative technology solutions, policies, and partnerships with the global community.”

Dr. Mohamed Al Madfaei, Executive Director of the Integrated Environment Policy and Planning Sector and Dr. Mohamed Dawoud Director of Water Resources Management, both from EAD shared the UAE’s commitment to advance and adopt innovative technological solutions to enhance the availability of potable water, such as renewable energy powered desalination and advanced hydroponics techniques.

Omar Al Hashimi, Projects division director at Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company highlighted STEP, Abu Dhabi’s Strategic Tunnel Enhancement Programme, which when completed in 2016, will be one of the largest gravity-driven hydraulic wastewater network tunnels in the world.

Masdar’ Mohammad El Ramahi shared the company’s innovative solution to decrease costs and the environmental impact of desalination, Masdar’s renewable energy powered desalination pilot programme. The pilot project, launched in January 2013 and currently under construction in Ghantoot, Abu Dhabi, will aim to identify industrial-scale and commercially viable desalination technologies to address sustainable access to water.

Ms Alya Al Mazroui of the National Centre of Meteorology & Seismology presented the UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science. The initiative is a first of its kind grant programme that promotes research and development to enhance rainfall yields and in turn, freshwater supplies.

Managed by the World Water Council, the World Water Forum brings together government leaders, decision makers, scientific experts spanning public and private sectors, academia and industry to drive international discussions on global water challenges.

The UAE delegation to the 7th World Water Forum was organised by Masdar. The delegation includes representatives from the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Environment and Water, Federal Electricity and Water Authority, Executive Affairs Authority, National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority, Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, Regulation and Supervision Bureau, Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and the United Arab Emirates University. 

Critical issues around the use and conservation of water will take centre stage at the 7^th World Water Forum, to be held in South Korea, where a high level delegation from the United Arab Emirates, led by His Highness Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi, will help shape the conversation on future water security and stimulate tangible actions to alleviate water scarcity.

His Excellency, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and Chairman of Masdar will speak at the opening of the triennial forum, the world’s largest international conference on water, to be held in Daegu and Gyeongbuk, South Korea, from April 12-17. The forum’s ministerial process brings together national leaders, parliamentarians, ministers, and local government officials to seek solutions to water problems and ensure a significant place for water in the emerging global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Dr. Sultan Al Jaber said: “In light of recent forecasts indicating two thirds of the global population could face water shortages in just 10 years, this important gathering unites the international community with the opportunity to address our shared responsibility to alleviate water scarcity, a mounting challenge that must be countered through collective efforts.”

“In the arid Gulf region, water scarcity has always been a primary concern. The UAE’s growing economy and population requires reliable access to potable water. We are keen to meet with the global community to shape conversations and develop collective solutions to move from water scarcity to water security, not only in our region but also across the globe.”

The UAE delegation will highlight the country’s strategic policies that seek to reduce the country’s water footprint by 20 per cent by 2020. The delegation will emphasise the ‘Green Growth Strategy’, initiated to promote economic growth and social development through sustainable practices, and the ‘Water Conservation Strategy’, the Emirates’ federal framework for the sustainable management of all water resources in the country.

Innovative technology developed to address the mutual challenges of the water-energy nexus will also be showcased, including Masdar’s pioneering renewable energy powered desalination pilot programme, a model of which will be displayed in the UAE Pavillion.

H.E. Dr. Rashed bin Fahed, Minister of Environment and Water, and Dr. Matar Hamed Al Neiady, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Energy will also speak at the forum discussing integrated water resource management and the inter-connected challenges of the water-energy food nexus.

Managed by the World Water Council, the World Water Forum brings together government leaders, decision makers, scientific experts spanning public and private sectors, academia and industry to drive international discussions on global water challenges.

The UAE delegation to the 7th World Water Forum, will include representatives from the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Environment & Water, Federal Electricity & Water Authority, Executive Affairs Authority, National Centre of Meteorology & Seismology, Masdar Institute of Science & Technology, Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi, Dubai Electricity & Water Authority, Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority, Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company, Regulation and Supervision Bureau, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, and the United Arab Emirates University. 

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 7^th World Water Forum in the Republic of Korea, His Excellency Dr Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and Chairman of Masdar called on nations to unite and commit to tangible actions aimed at addressing water scarcity challenges and ensuring global water security.

In his keynote speech, Dr Al Jaber urged delegates to align efforts and harness their collective knowledge to devise innovative solutions and transform the way water is produced, preserved and consumed. The opening ceremony, attended by HH Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Chairman of the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi, included 500 government dignitaries and business leaders from 170 international delegations. Also speaking at the opening ceremony was HRH Prince Albert II of Monaco, HE Park Geun-hye, President of the Republic of Korea, HE Dr Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, President of Turkmenistan, HE Emomali Rahmon, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, HE Dr Janos Ader, President of Hungary, HE Abdelilah Benkirane, Prime Minister of Morocco, HE Mulatu Teshome, President of Ethiopia, HE Jan Eliasson, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations and Angel Gurria, Secretary General of the OECD.

In his opening remarks, Dr Al Jaber said: “Tackling water security is a global challenge that will require a global response. The UAE is ready to work with you in our shared responsibility to exchange ideas, drive commercial solutions and forge a pathway toward global water security.

“As a rapidly growing nation in an arid desert climate, the UAE is determined to move from water scarcity to water security. As such, our leadership has set an ambitious target to reduce our water footprint by 20 per cent, by 2030. A calculated and strategic goal we are committed to achieve through a mix of conservation practices, innovative technology solutions, policies, and partnerships with the global community.”

Dr Al Jaber emphasised innovation’s role as a catalyst for multi-industry solutions to the water scarcity challenges faced by arid regions across the world.

“We are determined to transform energy intensive desalination technology and make it more sustainable,” he said. “Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s multi-faceted sustainability and renewable energy company, has taken a visionary approach to addressing the water-energy nexus and has launched an ambitious program to improve desalination efficiency and develop advanced desalination technology capable of being powered with sustainable, clean energy.”

Held under the theme of ‘Water for our Future,’ the 7^th World Water forum is being held in Daegu and Gyenongbuk, South Korea and over the next five days it is expected to attract over 30,000 attendees from government leaders to scientific experts, spanning public and private sectors, academia and industry. It will serve as a key platform to drive international discussions on global water challenges and explore conclusive outcomes for tackling water security issues.

During the forum, the United Arab Emirates will showcase its adoption of innovative technologies as a means to ensure a water secure future and to address the inter-connected challenges of the energy-water nexus.

A high-level UAE delegation, organised by Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, is addressing how the UAE is innovating to advance water security. In addition to the pioneering renewable energy powered desalination pilot project, spearheaded by Masdar, the UAE is highlighting its efficient wastewater collection and conveyance systems and its advanced hydroponics techniques.

The UAE delegation to the 7th World Water Forum includes representatives from the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Environment and Water, Federal Electricity and Water Authority, Executive Affairs Authority, National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority, Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, Regulation and Supervision Bureau, Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and the United Arab Emirates University.