Gulf Eco 2010 Symposium to focus on GCC’s sustainable water resources -The Gulf Eco 2010 Symposium under the theme “Sustainability, Climate Change, Water, Renewable Energy and the Future of Communities in the Gulf Region” to be held on January 12, 2010 at the Golden Tulip Hotel will focus on the challenges of renewable water resources and its rising demands in the GCC countries.

The GCC countries face water shortages like other nations in the world. The region’s rapid population growth and accelerated socio-economic development have significantly contributed to the increase in water demands, which have escalated from less than 5 billion cubic metres (bcm), in 1970 to more than 32 cbm in 2005.

These demands have been driven mainly by agricultural consumptions, which comprise 85 per cent of total water used, and by rapid urban expansion. The scarcity of renewable water resources along with the inadequate levels of management and the continuous deterioration of its natural water resources have become the region’s main challenges. To meet domestic water supply requirement, GCC countries have turned to desalination and have collectively become the world leaders with about 45 per cent of the world capacity.

Dr Waleed K al Zubari, Water Resources Management Programme Vice-President and Academic Affairs Editor-in-Chief at the Arab Gulf Journal of Scientific Research (AGJSR), Arabian Gulf University in Bahrain, will shed light on the topic “Sustainable Water Resources Management in GCC countries”. Dr Al Zubari will focus on water management, groundwater resources, desalination and water recycling and its environmental impact.

The Symposium will also highlight the Overview on the Overall Situation of the GCC Environment: Challenges, Opportunities & Action Plans, to be presented by Dr Mohamed Raouf, Programme Manager — Environment Research at the Gulf Research Center; Success Stories on Waste Management & Recycling to be delivered by Mohammed al Masrori, HSE Manager Oman India Fertilizer Company; State of the Art of Remediation for Petroleum Industries by Arul Ayyasdwami, Vice-President and the Programme Director TerraSure Development LLC (Subsidiary of Gannett Fleming); Climate Change After Copenhagen by Ibrahim bin Ahmed al Ajmi, Director-General of Climate Affairs Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, among others. A panel discussion will be facilitated by key players from various environment organisations.

Organised under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, and supported by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Gulf Eco 2010 Symposium will provide stakeholders, policy-makers, researchers, academia and leaders in the business community with the best networking platform to determine the initiatives required to reach manageable eco-solutions. The Conference will be held alongside the Gulf Eco exhibition, which will take place at the Oman International Exhibition Centre from January 11 to 13, 2010.