CMWU and the Water Authority celebrate World Water Day at the Deir al-Balah desalination plant under the theme "Water and Jobs," attended by the Water Authority minister.
In the Presence of the Chairman of the Palestinian Water Authority
CMWU and the Palestinian Water Authority Organize a World Water Day Celebration
CMWU and the Palestinian Water Authority organized a celebration marking World Water Day at the seawater desalination plant in the middle area in Deir al-Balah, under the theme "Water and Jobs," which falls on March 22nd of every year, in the presence of Minister Eng. Mazen Ghanem, Chairman of the Palestinian Water Authority, Minister of Public Works Dr. Mofid Al-Hasayna, Dr. Majed Abu Ramadan, Chairman of CMWU's Board of Directors, Eng. Monther Shoblaq, CMWU's Director-General, Eng. Rebhi Al-Sheikh, Deputy Chairman of the Water Authority, and a number of the Strip's mayors and representatives of international and local partner institutions and workers in the water sector.
Dr. Majed Abu Ramadan welcomed Minister Ghanem, Minister Al-Hasayna, and all the honorable attendees, and extended thanks to the President of the State of Palestine Mr. Mahmoud Abbas for his continuous support for implementing water projects in the Gaza Strip.
Dr. Abu Ramadan said, "At CMWU we are celebrating World Water Day, and we all hope that the future will be better for the Gaza Strip and for all our people," affirming that the Utility will continue its efforts to provide the best possible service to residents in the Gaza Strip, and added that the seawater desalination plant project south of Deir al-Balah is the project of hope for the residents of the Gaza Strip.
For his part, Minister Al-Hasayna conveyed the greetings of President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah to the crews and employees of institutions working in the water sector, stressing the government's continued efforts to implement reconstruction programs, including reconstruction in the water sector and implementing water projects, foremost among them the central seawater desalination plant.
Al-Hasayna affirmed that advancing this vital sector for the residents of the Gaza Strip is a government priority, especially amid the current water crisis.
For his part, Eng. Rebhi Al-Sheikh, Deputy Chairman of the Water Authority, appealed on World Water Day and Arab Water Day to the whole world to provide support to complete the efforts to reconstruct and develop the water sector, pointing to the great efforts made by institutions working in the water sector to reconstruct water facilities and installations in the Gaza Strip.
For his part, Eng. Monther Shoblaq, CMWU's Director-General, affirmed that despite the complex and difficult circumstances the Gaza Strip is going through, from siege and wars, the efforts of the workers in water facilities and installations have achieved great successes, and said that the Utility's and municipalities' crews worked through wars, floods, and emergencies and amid a lack of resources, and will continue their work implementing projects to deliver water and sanitation services to all residents and build a better tomorrow.
In his speech, His Excellency Water Authority Minister Eng. Mazen Ghanem stated that the Gaza Strip is going through a catastrophic water crisis, as international and local reports indicate, and it is important to move without delay to take measures to save the groundwater aquifer from collapse before the year 2020, and he affirmed that the Water Authority has clear plans in this regard, racing against time to implement a series of ambitious projects aimed at reducing the depletion of the groundwater aquifer and strengthening water sources, and Minister Ghanem spoke in his speech about desalination projects, including the central desalination plant (55 million cubic meters annually) and three small-scale plants (13 million cubic meters annually) and associated works, including the conveyance line connecting the north of the Strip with its south.
He pointed to sewage water treatment projects, which include three central plants in the north, middle, and south of the Strip, with these projects working to provide and use alternative water resources in agriculture and injecting the groundwater aquifer.
Minister Ghanem noted that marking World Water Day points to the importance of water in human life and that access to it is one of the basic human rights.
He explained that this year's World Water Day theme, "Water and Jobs," reminds everyone of the role of the unknown soldiers among the water crews with their various specializations, who work tirelessly and under all circumstances to fulfill their duty towards their people.
Ghanem said that about 890 employees work in government and semi-government institutions and municipalities operating in the Gaza Strip, in addition to numerous international and local institutions implementing projects related to water and sanitation at the emergency and sustainable levels.
He added that among us are those who have worked for years and decades in the water sector, some of whom sacrificed their blood as martyrs or were wounded while performing their duty during the repeated attacks on Gaza, and some of whom have retired, but their work and the effort they gave in serving the homeland remains something that deserves all appreciation and loyalty from all of us.
The ceremony included a folk dabke performance, after which the visiting delegation toured the sections of the seawater desalination plant where the ceremony was held, learning about the plant's production and future plans for its development.
