Implementation status of integrated water resources management in GCC countries according to UN-SDGs

Mohamed Shamrukh1*, Khaled El-Said2

1Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Doha, Qatar (on leave from Minia University, Faculty of Engineering, Civil Engineering Department, ElMinia, Egypt), email: mshamrukh@gmail.com, mshamrukh@mu.edu.eg (corresponding author)
2Chemical Engineering Program, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, PO Box 23874, Doha, Qatar

https://doi.org/10.5004.dsal.2025.700053

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Abstract

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries are located in arid regions with rare natural freshwater resources and increasing amounts of treated wastewater for reuse or recycling. Therefore, integrated water resources management (IWRM) is essential for water security in the GCC countries. Globally, IWRM is one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals; and UN-Water is the primary international authority for monitoring the IWRM strategic development goal indicators, including indictor No 6.5.1. This indicator tracks the degree of IWRM implementation by assessing the four key components of IWRM: 1) enabling environment, 2) institutions and participation, 3) management instruments, and 4) financing. In this work, the current status of IWRM implementation in the GCC countries according to UN-Water indicators is presented and analysed to assess the level of IWRM implementation in the region. Also, lessons learned from the results of these analyses with respect to implementing the United Nations Strategic Development Goals (UN-SDGs) for IWRM are discussed for each of the GCC countries. Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and the UAE fall within the very high to high implementation categories. Sustaining momentum and fostering cooperation among the GCC nations could lead them to meet the global target. The findings of this work can contribute to augmenting current efforts toward achieving efficient and sustainable IWRM in the GCC countries.

Keywords: Integrated water resources management; IWRM; GCC; SDGs; Water management

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