Manama: The Water Resources management unit in the National Oil and Gas Authority has signed an agreement cooperation agreement to study treated sewage effluent in the Kingdom of Bahrain and enhance its utilization.
In line with the sustainable development goals 2030 and Bahrain economic Vision 2030, the water resources management unit in the National Oil and Gas Authority, via a virtual meeting, signed a cooperation agreement to study wastewater and enhance its utilization with “Stantec Khonji” company, with the aim of improving the public perception of wastewater reuse and maximizing the sustainable use of renewable and non-renewable water resources management in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
This agreement was by Nasser Sultan Al Suwaidi, CEO of the National Oil and Gas Authority, and Dr. Naji Berry, Director of Stantec Khonji.
NOGA CEO praised the services, and support the company provides in various environmental projects due to its long experience, competencies, and high capabilities in this field which will be beneficial to enhance NOGAs Role in preserving water resources and the formulation of water related policies serving the cause of common global environmental concerns to find adequate solutions in this matter.
Nasser Al-Suwaidi also indicated that the agreement comes within the directives of His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Minister of Oil, to strengthen cooperation with various leading international companies and institutions in everything that serves the preservation of water resources aimed at achieving the objectives of the national water strategy 2030 and appreciating the support of national efforts in improving water resources management through the Water Resources Management Unit in the authority, which was established with the aim of enhancing climate resilience for the water sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain to ensure its proper utilization in the best way in line with global trends in the issue of adaptation to climate change.
His Excellency indicated that the main objective of the agreement is to raise public awareness of the reuse of treated wastewater to increase the acceptance of this water through the preparation and development of guidelines and procedures of treated wastewater utilization and quality in Bahrain. This will include collecting the necessary data for wastewater reuse and the requirements of water quality standards based on applicable international and local standards, assessing health risks associated with reusing treated wastewater, reviewing, and identifying the best available technologies that will achieve the required water quality, build the capacities of national stakeholders, and submitting proposals for pilot projects in the sustainable use of TSE.
Al Suwaidi stated that the National Oil and Gas Authority is implementing several projects through the water resources management unit to preserve and develop water resources in cooperation with the Green Climate Fund, which include 10 major initiatives aimed at enhancing climate resilience for the water sector, which is modeling the impacts of climate change on freshwater resources in Bahrain ,producing guidelines and designs for rainwater harvesting, guidelines and designs for utilizing gray water, establishing a climate and water platform that serves all water related sectors and government institutions in the Kingdom, Guidelines procedures for water saving practices and techniques in homes and farms, strengthening the relevant technical and institutional capacities by incorporating the concept of integrated water resources management and adaptation to climate change, enhancing water reserves by aquifer recharge technique using treated wastewater to improve its quality and quantity, studying strategic options for optimal uses of wastewater, and integrating the strategic gas contingency plan with the national water security plan.
Dr. Naji Berry, representative of Stantec Khonji Company, expressed his pleasure at signing the cooperation agreement with the National Oil and Gas Authority, mentioning that the agreement would contribute positively to supporting the efforts of the Kingdom of Bahrain in the field of water and benefiting from the reuse of wastewater in development projects in Bahrain. In accordance with an integrated vision, he praised the interest the Kingdom of Bahrain attaches to preserving water and developing the skills of the cadres working in this field.
He also stated that Stantec Khonji have been operating in Bahrain since the early 1970’s. Early in 2020, they successfully delivered updates to the TSE master plan for the Kingdom of Bahrain which will guide the future planning and implementation of TSE infrastructure, provided detailed design and tender documents for the utilization of TSE in Tubli STP, and held trusted relationships with stakeholders across the entire water sector. This trust stems from their reputation, values, and promise to design with the community in mind.
