OIC chief: Five-pronged plan evolved to tackle water issues in Islamic World
Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Dr. Yousef Al Othaimeen announced that a five-pronged plan had been evolved for the execution of the OIC's vision regarding various issues and challenges related to water resources in the member states.
The execution plan, he said, is scheduled to be presented to the Fourth Session of the OIC Ministerial Conference on Water in the OIC member states due to being held in Cairo on October 14-15.
The secretary general went on to say that the execution plan expected to be discussed and adopted in Cairo bears several objectives: evaluating the member states' needs and capacities, identifying the pioneering schools in the area of water in the member states, executing a number of cooperative activities on building capacities and innovative technological ideas, and training programs among the OIC member states' research and training schools.
The plan also includes capacity-building programs that are mainly focused on the needs of the OIC least developed countries for them to meet the water-linked challenges and equipment for water bottling in the execution of the water plan particularly in the OIC least developed countries.
Regarding the assessment of the OIC member states' needs and capacities, the secretary general noted that the OIC 2026 technological plan of action called on member states, first and foremost, to define the level of water supply availability and demand through the elaboration of national water budgets at the communal level.
Al-Othaimeen further added that the execution plan reflects a need for the coordination of current activity regarding cooperative research on water issues under the various OIC institutions in order to avoid duplication. He also indicated that cooperation and capacity-building activities would be compartmentalized and entrusted to the important excellence centers operating in the field of water resources, as may be requested by the OIC Water Council or by any member states.
Source: International Islamic News Agency