Without water, life cannot be sustained, and factors such as population growth, increased urbanization, and climate change all contribute to a lack of freshwater resources. A particularly acute challenge for arid and semi-arid regions, water scarcity can impact all aspects of sustainable development.
In line with the theme of Expo 2020 - Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, the National Water and Energy Center, United Arab Emirates University and the South Australian Goyder Institute for Water Research and Department for Environment and Water are jointly organizing the conference, Water Resources Management and Sustainability: Solutions for Arid Regions, to explore the global water issues and address future challenges. Sustainable water management is a priority for both the Australia and the UAE, with 70% of the Australian landmass being arid or semi-arid and 80% of the UAE desert.
conferences.uaeu.ac.ae/expo2020_wms/en/about-conference.shtmlAt the conference, we presented innovative results from our participation in the Salam Initiative. The title of our presentation was Bartering Blue Water and Green Energy - Innovative SWAP Options for Cooperation between Israel and Jordan. Reducing water scarcity in Jordan and simultaneously meeting part of Israel's renewable energy needs are possible through a fair water-energy swap between the two countries. To this end, large-scale seawater desalination plants could be built on the Israeli coast either on land or at sea, providing fresh water for Amman in Jordan. On the Jordanian side, large-scale photovoltaic plants could be installed to exchange green energy for blue water with Israel.
