On 26 October, the Asian Population and Development Association (APDA), Forum of Arab Parliamentarians on Population and Development (FAPPD), and Bahrain Shura Council conducted a meeting of parliamentarians on water security and SDGs in Manama, Bahrain, with the support of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Japan Trust Fund (JTF). National-level activities, such as this, are organized to promote parliamentarians’ activities, focusing on challenges and solution development tailored to local needs. Since Bahrain suffers from water resource scarcity, the Bahrain Shura Council proposed the theme "Water Scarcity: A Challenge Facing Sustainable Development Goals in the Arab Region”, and the gathering was attended by Bahraini parliamentarians who belong to parliamentary committees related to population and development issues, representatives from civil society organizations, experts, academics, and government officials.

Water scarcity is a region-wide problem: 19 out of the 22 Arab countries fall below the annual threshold for water scarcity in renewable resources, defined as 1,000 cubic meters per person. Additionally, 13 countries fall below the absolute water scarcity threshold of 500 cubic meters per person per year. Water scarcity in the Arab region poses a serious challenge, threatening the achievement of the SDGs and the realization of the fundamental human right to access water and sanitation. Also, water scarcity extends beyond issues of water availability alone, impacting food security as well as biodiversity in the region. Through the three sessions and discussions that ensued, participants shared the information on the importance of water in supporting sustainable development and innovation for sustainable water management, and assessed how to coordinate action across different sectors and measures at all levels of society. At the end of the meeting, the attendees expressed their appreciation to the Government of Japan in holding this important meeting and emphasized the necessity of continuing such meetings due to parliamentarians’ important role in enacting legislation that are in line with contemporary challenges.