ESCWA Publication: E/ESCWA/CL1.CCS/2025/1
Country: Arab region
Publication Type: Flagship publications
Cluster: Climate Change and Natural Resource Sustainability
Focus Area: Natural resource sustainability
Initiatives: Arab Initiative for Mobilizing Climate Finance for Water, Improved Water Security in Arab States, Climate Resilience through Regional Cooperation, Water Action Decade
SDGs: Agenda 2030, Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Keywords: Agriculture, Arab countries, Armed conflicts, Climate change adaptation, Desalination, Economic aspects, Financing, Political aspects, Rainwater, Recommendations, Sewage, Social aspects, Water law, Water management, Water resources development, Water reuse
2024 Progress Report on the Implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management in the Arab Region: Midterm Status of Sustainable Development Goal Indicator 6.5.1
June 2025
As the impacts of climate change on the Arab region intensify and socioeconomic and political challenges – including conflict – persist, efforts to secure access to safe and reliable water supplies are of primary importance. In this context, this document serves as the third progress report on Sustainable Development Goal indicator 6.5.1 on the implementation of integrated water resources management (IWRM) in the Arab region, highlighting challenges and opportunities to advance implementation.
While the average IWRM implementation level for the Arab region is on par with global progress, it is marked by great disparity between the high-income countries and the least developed and conflict- and crisis-affected countries of the region. Overall, Arab countries have scored a slight increase in IWRM implementation compared to the 2020 scores, but progress is decelerating. Closing the achievement gap between high- and low-income and crisis-impacted countries in the region is crucial to IWRM implementation, as well to the achievement of the goals laid out in the International Decade for Action, “Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018–2028.
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Natural resource sustainability
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As the impacts of climate change on the Arab region intensify and socioeconomic and political challenges – including conflict – persist, efforts to secure access to safe and reliable water supplies are of primary importance. In this context, this document serves as the third progress report on Sustainable Development Goal indicator 6.5.1 on the implementation of integrated water resources management (IWRM) in the Arab region, highlighting challenges and opportunities to advance implementation.
While the average IWRM implementation level for the Arab region is on par with global progress, it is marked by great disparity between the high-income countries and the least developed and conflict- and crisis-affected countries of the region. Overall, Arab countries have scored a slight increase in IWRM implementation compared to the 2020 scores, but progress is decelerating. Closing the achievement gap between high- and low-income and crisis-impacted countries in the region is crucial to IWRM implementation, as well to the achievement of the goals laid out in the International Decade for Action, “Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018–2028.
