Water is vital for all types of life. Without water, life cannot be sustained. The lack of freshwater resources in arid and semi-arid regions constitutes the major deterrent to sustainable development. The rapid population growth, rising standards of living and per capita water consumption, expansion in urbanization, industrial and agricultural activities, and climate change pose considerable challenges on the use and management of water resources. Those challenges define how government, industry and the community engage with the use and management of water resources in the future. The issue of water resources scarcity and management is at the top of the research agenda of many countries around the globe and this is typically true for countries located in arid regions including UAE.

This conference is organized to address the critical importance of water resources availability for the future of economies, communities, and the environment in arid and semiarid regions, and to discuss global water issues and address future water and environmental challenges.

Under its main theme “Water Resources Management and Sustainability: Solutions for Arid Regions”, 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 jointly organized the first conference at Expo-Dubai from 22 to 24 March 2022, to explore the global water issues and address future challenges. The conference was the first major In-Person international conference on water resources in the region to be held after the COVID-19 pandemic. With a contribution of participants from 57 countries, 214 total paper submissions, 23 technical sessions, and 9 keynote sessions, the conference was very successfully.

Based on the importance of the subject, the interest, and recommendations of the participants it was decided to organize the conference regularly every other year. The National Water and Energy Center, United Arab Emirates University, is therefore organizing the second international conference on “Water Resources Management and Sustainability: Solutions for Arid Regions”, 26-28 February 2024, Dubai.

The conference is designed to facilitate and encourage new perspectives on how science and innovative technologies can transform water management and sustainability in arid and semi-arid regions around the world. It will address current challenges and priorities in water management and provide a forum to share knowledge, experiences, research, and new discoveries.

The conference will bring together international experts working in industry, academia, and government to share expertise, form partnerships, and discover solutions in the field of water resource management. With the participation of international water scientists, engineers, experts, academics, policy makers, and industry members, we are confident that this version of the conference will serve as one of the largest gatherings of water specialists in 2024.

Covering both technical and policy-focused topics, the three-day conference program will comprise of Keynote presentations, oral presentations and poster sessions showcasing recent innovations and research findings. The program will also include pre-conference interactive workshops exploring current and future challenges and opportunities for change, as well as a showcase of innovative water technologies from the United Arab Emirates, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries, and beyond.

The organizers of the conference welcome your participation and the establishment of further connections with the global water community. We look forward to seeing you at the conference in Dubai during February 2024 and working together towards water and environmental sustainability for arid and semi-arid regions.