The UAE and Senegal made substantial progress at the 7th Cairo Water Week from October 13 to 17 in a bid for the preparatory meeting for the UN Water Conference in 2026. Held in conjunction with the 9th Africa Water Week, this provided the UAE with a platform to meet with Africa and the rest of the world to address and discuss the future of water and the lead up to the SDG 6- clean water and sanitation and the rest of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
During Cairo Water Week, there is always a high-level session co-organized with the Egypt, Senegal, and UAE; this session was named “Aspirations for the UN 2026 Water Conference”. The session included ministers of Iraq, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa, and from Japan, the Netherlands and the European Union. National and international government institutions, NGOs and civil society, including UN organizations, the business world and civil society began to weigh in on how the objectives of the 2026 WC should be defined with an eye on water being one of the pivotal pillars of sustainable development.
Indeed, the UAE Director of Energy and Sustainability Affairs, Shaima Gargash emphasizing the importance of the 2026 Water Conference noted that this event is a chance to ‘’aim higher and envision new possibilities and paradigm and approach for positioning water as an accelerator of sustainable change.’’ Senegal’s Minister of Hydraulics and Sanitation, C T Diéye, said everyone must work together, announcing that a preparatory meeting in Dakar would take place in 2025 to prepare for a defining conference. African Ministers;South Africa’s Minister of Water and Sanitation in particular Pemmy Majodina also announced 2025 AU-Africa Water Investment Summit that will be Host in sequence to south Africa’s G20 Presidency.
The UAE participated in the sections discussing water and climate connections, COP28 efforts, and new developments in desalination. The Mohamed Bin Zayed Water Initiative Launched XPRIZE Water Scarcity competition with $150 million to decorate the newly evoked appreciation for innovation in desalination.
