\u2022 He said the Kingdom is the world\u2019s largest producer of desalinated water and has placed water governance at the center of its strategy.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n\u201cSafe, accessible and secure water isn\u2019t merely a convenience; it\u2019s fundamental to human well-being and to the resilience of our communities,\u201d Abdulrahman Al-Rassi added.<\/p>\n
The meeting was co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and Senegal in cooperation with the Global Water Organization, established to promote international cooperation on water challenges.<\/p>\n
Al-Rassi said availability alone is not enough to address the global water crisis, stressing the importance of accessibility, governance, technology and international cooperation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWater challenges transcend national borders,\u201d he said, noting that growing scarcity and rising demand are placing unprecedented pressure on shared water resources.<\/p>\n
He highlighted Saudi Arabia\u2019s experience in managing water scarcity, saying the Kingdom has become the world\u2019s largest producer of desalinated water and has placed water governance at the center of its National Water Strategy 2030.<\/p>\n
Sustained investment in technology and innovation has helped strengthen water management and develop new solutions, he said, adding that Saudi Arabia\u2019s experience demonstrates how water diplomacy could turn shared challenges into opportunities for dialogue and partnership.<\/p>\n
Al-Rassi linked water security to wider regional stability, saying resilient water systems are closely connected to the security of critical maritime routes.<\/p>\n
\u201cSafeguarding freedom of navigation and ensuring the security of waterways remain critical to global economic stability and shared prosperity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Amina Tature, Senegal\u2019s high representative of the president, said water needs to become a greater political priority within the multilateral system, particularly as its effects increasingly intersect with climate change, economic development and social stability.<\/p>\n
In Africa, she said, water shortages disproportionately affect women and girls, who are responsible for collecting water.<\/p>\n
Tature said Senegal\u2019s experience with transboundary cooperation, including through the Organization for the Development of the Senegal River and the Gambia River Basin Development Organization, shows that shared water resources can provide a basis for cooperation rather than competition.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur experience teaches us that a shared basin need not be a theater for competition; it can become a space of trust, solidarity and shared prosperity,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
She welcomed Saudi Arabia\u2019s plans to host the 11th World Water Forum in March 2027, following forums in Dakar in 2022 and Bali in 2024.<\/p>\n
Tature also highlighted the 2026 UN Water Conference, which Senegal and the UAE will co-host in Abu Dhabi in December, saying it should help place water at the center of discussions on development, climate change, peace and multilateralism.<\/p>\n
The conference will also provide an opportunity to strengthen global water governance beyond the UN\u2019s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, she added.<\/p>\n
The UN secretary-general\u2019s special envoy on water, Retno Marsudi, said progress toward SDG 6 \u2014 ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all \u2014 is moving too slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have just four years left before the deadline to ensure water and sanitation for all,\u201d she said, adding that one in four people worldwide still lack access to safe drinking water, while 3.5 billion people lack safely managed sanitation. \u201cTherefore we need to unite, and we need to act collectively,\u201d Marsudi said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n