Egyptian Minister of Water Resources
and Irrigation Hani Sweilam announced the launch of the Action on Water,
Adaptation, and Resilience (AWAR) international initiative.
The announcement was made during the thematic day of Gender and Water Day of the UN Climate Change Conference COP27 currently taking place in the Red Sea city of Sharm El-Sheikh.
The initiative – the latest in a series of Egyptian initiatives introduced during COP27 – offers transitional adaptation solutions for the planet and people, starting with the world’s most vulnerable communities and ecosystems in Africa.
The initiative was prepared in partnership with several international parties and depends on the outcomes of various international meetings held over the past months under the patronage of global coalitions, including the Water and Climate Coalition, the Adaptation Action Coalition and the Marrakesh Partnership Climate Action Pathway Water, according to a statement issued by the irrigation ministry.
The initiative is aimed at decreasing water waste worldwide and improving water supply, and supporting the implementation of the mutually agreed upon policies and methods for cooperative water-related adaptation action and its co-benefits.
It also seeks to promote cooperation and interlinkages between water and climate action in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of 2030 (SDGs), especially water-related goal SDG6.
The initiative's action plan is set to be drawn up by March 2023 and announced officially at the United Nations 2023 Water Conference slated for March of next year, he added.
Source: Al-Ahram Online
