"I have accepted to become UNESCO's Special Envoy for Water because of my deep awareness of the seriousness of the problems of water scarcity and of their impact on peoples, especially what I have heard about the looming water wars which are likely to be fought on Middle Eastern soil."
H.R.H. Prince Talal was designated UNESCO Special Envoy for Water on 18 December 2002. In his capacity as UNESCO Special Envoy for Water H.R.H. Prince Talal donated USD 1 million to launch the Solidarity Fund for Safe Water for All, the creation of which was approved by UNESCO’s Executive Board at its 167th session. This donation was made on the Symposium on Education, Water and Sustainable Development held at the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education in Delft, the Netherlands, on 17 July 2003. Consistent with UNESCO’s mandate and responsibility, the fund would be used to support primarily the assessment of water availability and vulnerability at a scale appropriate for water supply and sanitation development. Such assessment would provide the necessary knowledge base needed for the major new investments which are deemed essential to achieve the water-related Millennium Development Goals.
H.R.H. Prince Talal explains why fresh water will be a major theme in the future: “…Many developing countries will be faced with water scarcity in the near future. This is mainly the result of growing demand for water due to rapid population growth, improved living standards, industrial development and increasing urbanisation... The only solution to the water problem for countries facing water scarcity is to improve their water resource management and strengthen the capabilities of their institutions. This is the only way to shrink the gap between the water supply and rising demand to meet the requirements of development…”
H.R.H. Prince Talal also tries to cope with the global water scarcity through his presidency of AGFUND, which has up to present sponsored 32 water related projects, worth USD 31 million.
Nomination ceremony
Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, Director General of UNESCO and His Royal Highness Prince Talal Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud during the nomination ceremony at UNESCO headquarters
