Cabinet Resolution No.352 of 2012 approving a Water Supply Plan.

This Resolution consisting of 3 articles approves the attached Water Supply Plan, prepared by the Ministry of Housing and Utilities, envisaged for cities and residential communities. The Ministry, together with the Public Authority for Water Resources, together with the Housing and Utilities Projects Implementation Authority, shall take the necessary measures to implement the Resolution.
Main objective of the Water Plan is to solve the problem of drinking water, for which the Ministry has prepared a comprehensive plan based on two axes (i) urgent axis, consisting of preparing an urgent and emergency short-term plan to supply water to areas suffering from an acute water crisis; and (ii) strategic axis, which involves the preparation of a long-term plan and strategy for the water supply that takes into account the integration of resources with the supply systems, aiming to achieve water security in the long term based on modern scientific and economic foundations.
The urgent Plan consists of both temporary and permanent solutions, most of them depending on one of the main water sources (man-made river systems, desalination plants, ground wells). When these resources are not available (i.e. in the case of dispersed communities) it will be supplied a fleet of water transport vehicles as urgent solutions. The majority of the targeted works will be assigned to the Water and Wastewater Company. As for the Strategic Plan, it includes a number of actions and the study of the following to be prepared (i) survey of settlements and water needs; (ii) study of the current status of water resources and water supply; (iii) strategic options for improving water resources and supplies; and (iv) development and improvement of legislation and regulations. A technical team has been formed to prepare for this strategy. It is headed by the Ministry of Housing and Utilities and membership of the following main bodies: (i) Water Resources Authority; (ii) Housing and Utilities Projects Implementation Authority; and (iii) the General Company for Water and Sewerage. It is expected that this strategic plan will take about 4 to 6 years to be prepared.