HOW MENA CAN SOLVE ITS WATER AND FOOD CRISES

Experts call for integrated water resource management over costly stop-gap solutions such as desalination

- BY KRISTIAN P. ALEXANDER | Special to Gulf News

Water and food security in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) is no longer a distant concern. It is a defining challenge that lies at the intersection of climate resilience, political stability, and sustainable development.

The recent Food and Water Security Dialogues held in Dubai, co-hosted by Observer Research Foundation (ORF)-Middle East and the Rabdan Security and Defence Institute (RSDI), brought together experts, entrepreneurs, and academics to tackle the region's acute vulnerabilities and chart collaborative pathways forward. Against the backdrop of the UAE co-hosting the 2026 UN Water Conference, the event reaffirmed the urgency of regional integration, innovation, and diplomacy in addressing these interlinked crises.