These are some topics on the agenda of the Third Annual Assembly of the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED), scheduled for 4-5 November 2010 in Beirut.

The conference will witness the release of AFED’s 2010 Annual Report on water, which highlights the need for more sustainable management of a scarce resource. It follows two groundbreaking reports published by AFED, Arab Environment: Future Challenges in 2008 and Impact of Climate Change on Arab Countries in 2009.

The report is designed to contribute to the discourse on sustainable management of water resources in the Arab world, stressing the urgent need for policy reforms. It states availability and needs, taking foremost facts into account:

The Arab region is among the water-scarcest in the world. Due to population growth, the average annual per capita share is declining from below 1000 cubic meters now, already below the level of water stress, to below 500 cubic meters, defined as severe water scarcity. Major water sources are from outside Arab borders or shared, and most available water resources are already developed. As needs exceed availability, it is urgent to apply rational use of available water sources, and develop new sources, such as desalination and rain harvesting.

It is hoped that policy makers and business leaders will find the presentation and open debate on this topic useful for timely action.