Muscat – The sultanate has built a total of 181 dams, including 63 underground feeders, 115 surface storage facilities and three protection dams, to improve water security, according to Dr Abdulaziz Ali al Mashaikhi, Director General of Water Resources Department at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources.

This announcement was made at the 15th meeting of the Water Resources Committee of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) held from June 18 to June 22 in Beirut, Lebanon.

The meeting discussed the progress made in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) in relation to water security in the Arab region. It also reviewed various activities pertaining to water issues since the last meeting, discussed topics on improving groundwater management by using innovative tools, and explored ways of financing the water sector.

“The issue of water security is of particular importance in the Arab region due to the fact that most of this territory extends through very dry areas characterised by water scarcity,” Mashaikhi said addressing the meeting.

“The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources is keen on managing agriculture and water resources and taking the necessary precautions to preserve these riches from being affected by external factors.”

He pointed out that many projects and research studies have been implemented that support the continuity of conservation of water resources and protect these from depletion or pollution in a way that ensures their sustainability.

The ministry is also implementing an artificial rainfall project, in addition to inventorying wells, and conducting studies on the modernisation of the water balance, monitoring salinity in coastal areas, and treatment of water associated with oil for reuse.

According to Mashaikhi, production of desalination water increased to 473mn cubic metres in 2021 compared to 196mn cubic metres in 2011. Sixty-six wastewater treatment plants were set up that produce about 104mn cubic metres of triple-treated water per year, of which 61% is used for various purposes.

He added that groundwater is the main source of fresh water in the sultanate, accounting for 94% of the total natural resources.

He informed that several exploratory drilling projects are being implemented, including the Masarat water basin, Sharqiyah Sands water basin project, Runab basin water project, and the Najd basin project.

He stressed that the sultanate has made remarkable progress in achieving the 2030 SDGs Agenda. “The indicator of household access to an improved and safe source of water reached more than 97% in cities and urban areas and 88% in non-urban areas.”

The percentage of households using improved sanitation facilities is about 97%.