Kathmandu: The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) hosted a dialogue at the Yak & Yeti Hotel on “Water Security in a Changing Himalaya: Unlocking Disaster Resilience and Transformation for Economic Growth, Food Security, and Inclusion” on October 1
Dr. Jagdishwor Karmacharya, Secretary at the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, was the chief guest. IWMI Director General Dr. Mark Smith, Senior Development Counsellor Alex Lau of the British Embassy, and Dr. Devendra Gauchan of the National Planning Commission also took part.
Addressing the gathering, UAE Ambassador to Nepal, H.E. Abdulla Saeed Mubarak Jarwan Al Shamsi said parts of the Himalayan region are approaching, or have already reached, a stage of “water bankruptcy.” He called for “genuine reinvention” rather than incremental adjustment.
He said glacial retreat, erratic monsoons and glacial lake outburst floods “are no longer distant projections” but “Nepal’s present reality.” The Himalaya, often called the “Third Pole,” feeds rivers that sustain nearly two billion people.
The Ambassador drew the “water bankruptcy” framing from discussions at the third Hili Forum in Abu Dhabi last month. The forum described the world as moving beyond “water stress,” where supply gaps can still be closed through efficiency or new sources, into a stage where traditional mechanisms are no longer enough on their own.
He tied water security to three priorities. On economic growth, he said Nepal’s immense hydropower potential requires infrastructure built for a changing climate, calling it “an investment in economic sovereignty, not a cost.” On food security, he pointed to climate-adaptive irrigation, flood and drought early-warning systems, and diversified water storage. On inclusion, he said mountain communities, smallholder farmers and women who walk hours for water bear the heaviest burden of water insecurity.
He said the UAE sees water diplomacy as a strategic necessity and is ready to share its experience in desalination and integrated water management with Nepal. The UAE and Senegal will host the UN Water Conference 2026 in Abu Dhabi on December 8–10. It will be only the third such conference, after Mar del Plata in 1977 and New York in 2023. The Ambassador said over a billion people still lack safe drinking water, and a $6.7 trillion investment gap separates the world from the water-related Sustainable Development Goals.
He expressed hope that Nepal would use the platform to advance mountain water security, glacial lake risk management and climate-smart agriculture.
“The United Arab Emirates stands ready to walk this path with Nepal, not as a distant supporter, but as a partner,” he said.
