Abu Dhabi's EAD takes water initiative to South Korea ahead of December's UN summit

The seminar, held in Seoul in partnership with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and supported by the UAE Embassy in Seoul, was led by Dr Shaikha Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of EAD. It also featured Jamal Abdulla Al Suwaidi, the UAE's ambassador to South Korea, Sang-Hyup Kim, executive director of GGGI, and Hyosung Ha, deputy director at South Korea's Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment.

According to EAD, the initiative was launched in July at the UN's High-Level Political Forum in New York and will continue in further locations before culminating at the UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi, which runs from 8 to 10 December and is co-hosted by the UAE and Senegal.

Held under the theme "Different Waters, One Current," the Seoul seminar explored how countries can better connect freshwater, coastal and marine management under a single governance approach, treating water as one continuous system from inland sources to the ocean.

In her keynote address, Al Dhaheri said: "Water is nature's ultimate connector, flowing from inland aquifers to our coastlines as one continuous, living system. Our governance must honour that continuum."

Abu Dhabi's own water and marine record

According to EAD, Abu Dhabi's own Source-to-Sea model combines circular water management with marine conservation. The agency said recycled water currently supports more than 1,600 farms across the emirate, and that the Liwa Strategic Water Reserve stores 26 million cubic metres of water. EAD said Abu Dhabi is working towards 100% wastewater reuse by 2026.

EAD also said the emirate protects the world's second-largest dugong population and has achieved a 100% score on its Sustainable Fishing Index. The agency's own past reporting, put that index at 97.4% as of the end of 2024.

The seminar featured additional contributions from Korean and international partners, including K-water and the Blue Carbon Research Center, on water reuse, coastal ecosystem protection and sustainable water management.

Wider engagements in South Korea

The Seoul seminar concluded a five-day EAD delegation visit to South Korea, led by Al Dhaheri. Alongside the seminar, the delegation met Korean government entities and research institutions on water management, climate action and environmental cooperation, including South Korea's vice minister of climate, energy and environment.

The delegation also held exchanges with members of the National Assembly's climate, energy, environment and labour committee, the Seoul Metropolitan Government, K-water, the Green Climate Fund and other research institutions, according to EAD.