Jordan chairs meeting on unified Arab water strategy in Beirut

AMMAN — Secretary-General of the Ministry of Water and Irrigation Hisham Heisa, during a recent meeting in Beirut, chaired a committee tasked with drafting a unified Arab vision and strategy to address regional interventions in the water sector.

According to a ministry statement on Thursday, cited by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, the meeting aimed to enhance water security and protect the sovereign rights of Arab states over their water resources. 

The initiative followed a decision by the Council of Arab Ministers of Justice at the Arab League to establish a committee of legal experts and specialists to develop a legal framework that safeguards Arab water resources and promotes regional cooperation in their management.

The committee recommended drafting a strategy rooted in an integrated legal framework that considers the technical aspects of water resource management, the impact of climate change and current and potential regional and international challenges. 

The draft will undergo a comprehensive review by experts from Arab countries, with feedback submitted to the Arab Centre for Legal and Judicial Research before its official adoption.

The committee also stressed the need to establish a legislative framework regulating the use of shared surface and groundwater resources among Arab states, ensuring their fair and sustainable utilisation amid increasing climate-related challenges.