- Time : 2023/03/27 19:15:09
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{Local: Euphrates News} Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid returned to the country on Monday after participating in the United Nations Water Conference held in New York.
Rashid had participated in the opening session of the United Nations Water Conference along with many of Their Majesties and Excellencies and representatives of participating countries to discuss the world’s water crisis and ways to reduce its risks to people.
In a speech at the opening session, the participants took note of the risks to which Iraq is exposed to the impact of water scarcity and climate changes, represented by the decline of rain, drought and desertification, their effects on the overall lives of Iraqis, and the threat they pose to food security and environmental diversity.
“Iraq bears the brunt of the effects of climate changes and extreme weather conditions, including drought, dust storms and high temperatures beyond our control, in addition to the low water flow of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers due to the low flow of transboundary water,” Rashid said.
He stressed that “Iraq has developed a solid action plan related to water management and waste reduction, including improving infrastructure, adopting modern irrigation systems and developing the agricultural sector, calling on the United Nations to “take serious measures to mitigate the effects of climate change and activate cooperation in the field of transboundary water to ensure equitable distribution of water.”
On the sidelines of the UN Water Conference, the President of the Republic of Slovenia met with Natacha Birk Mozar and her accompanying delegation.
During the meeting, Rashid pointed out that “the Iraqi government is working hard to find solutions to the water crisis and climate change and its serious repercussions on the population, and work jointly with neighboring countries, the region and the international community to find common understandings and benefit from specialized international expertise in the field of climate action.”
The President of the Republic also participated in the interactive dialogue session on international cooperation in the field of transboundary waters, where he stressed in an intervention that the world is currently not on the right track towards the implementation of integrated water resources management plans at all levels,” noting that “estimates indicate that (107) countries are not on the right track to manage water resources sustainably by 2030, and that among the (153) countries that share transboundary rivers, lakes and aquifers there are only (32) countries that have at least 90%) of the transboundary basin area following the implementation of operational procedures for cooperation in the field of transboundary waters.
During his meeting, Rashid, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), said, “the need to implement rural projects, especially in villages and rural areas, to encourage people to return to their areas, establish small projects in areas such as Sinjar city, provide services with meteorological stations and river drainage meters, and equip veterinary circuits with laboratories and medical devices, which calls for strengthening the positive partnership between Iraq and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.”
Rashid also met with the Executive Director of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) at his residence in New York.
During the meeting, he stressed the importance of coordination and joint work with the organizations of the international community to overcome the effects of the water crisis and climate change. He also touched on the issue of displaced people and the need to resolve their file by returning to their areas of residence, pointing in this context to the need to exert more work and joint efforts to improve their conditions and provide them with the appropriate atmosphere of services and rehabilitation of infrastructure.
On the sidelines of the United Nations Water Conference, Rashid met, at his residence, the Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations, Ambassador Linda Thomas Greenfield and her accompanying delegation.
Rashid stressed that “there are plans at a high level to reach real treatments for the issue of water, and that the government is serious about its work and waiting for the approval of the budget to complete the necessary projects in this regard.”
He touched on the file of displaced people in Iraq, noting that “their situation needs serious and rapid work and this requires greater efforts by international organizations to help Iraq return the displaced to their areas after rehabilitation and provide them with a decent living.”
The President of the Republic also met with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Antonio Guterres, where he stressed the important role of the United Nations in supporting international efforts and taking appropriate measures to reduce the water crisis and activate cooperation in the field of transboundary waters to ensure equitable distribution among riparian countries.
Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Wahid Kirchı also met, stressing that “all sources of the rivers of Iraq and tributaries are located outside the country and this requires more cooperation to reach formulas and understandings that ensure fair and adequate water quotas for all parties.”
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