“The government of the United Arab Emirates assigns great importance to the building of foundations for a decent life for its people, in which water represents one of the pillars of development. The issue of water is specifically imperative considering the United Arab Emirates’ extreme water scarcity and limited rainfall. To illustrate this point, yesterday, New York City in a single day witnessed a snowfall of 300 millimeters. By contrast, the average rainfall in the UAE in all of 2017 totaled to only about 100 millimeters.”
Country statement at the General Assembly on World Water Day, during the High Level Event for the Formal Launch of the International Decade for Action: “Water for Sustainable Development 2018-2028.
UN Headquarters, New York, 22 March 2018
