•  Honorary Vice-President of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID).
• Honorary President of the Egyptian National Committee for Irrigation and Drainage (ENCID).
• Former Secretary-General of the National Water Research Center (NWRC).
• Throughout his 40-year professional experience in the field of water resources management, he progressed in the high-caliber posts of the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of Egypt till appointed Senior Undersecretary, where he contributed effectively to the development of short- and long-term strategies, policies and national plans for water resources management till year 2050, besides the planning and implementation of national mega projects (improvement of irrigation and drainage, integrated water resources management, institutional reform, updating of laws and legislations, …) towards improvement of water resources management in Egypt.
• Presently he is Secretary-General of the Arab Water Council, an Arab regional organization working on the international scale, and has numerous contributions in the water sector on the national, regional and international domains. He also has distinguished relations with numerous development partners, including Arab, regional and international organizations and institutions, with the aim of promoting cooperation towards water security and achieving the sustainable development goals. In collaboration with the League of Arab States (LAS), he assisted in formulating the Implementation Plan of the 2010-2030 Strategy for Arab Water Security.
• Dr. El-Atfy is member of the Water Committee affiliated to the Egyptian Engineering Syndicate and the Arab Union of Engineers, lecturer at different national, regional and international research Institutes and universities, and supervisor and reviewer of numerous research papers and dissertations.
• Throughout his professional career, Dr. El-Atfy participated in a series of regional and international Conferences and Fora and is author of several papers and books, and also scientific editor of many local and international journals on water, including the Arab Water Council Journal “Al-Maa.”
• Dr. El-Atfy was awarded a number of Recognition Awards and prizes from national and international organizations for his distinguished contributions in the water sector. He is Winner of the ICID Watsave Award on “Innovative Water Management” in 1999 for outstanding contribution to water conservation and water saving in agriculture.

Session title:

Importance of Green Transition in Enhancing Water Scarcity Management and Sustainable Development: The Case of the Arab Region

ABSTRACT:

The Arab region faces one of the world’s most severe water scarcity crises, with 14 of its 20 countries water-stressed and per-capita availability below 500 m³/year. Climate change, occurring at twice the global average, intensifies pressures on water, food, ecosystems, and socio-economic stability—demanding a green transition.

This transition shifts from resource-intensive, polluting systems to sustainable, low-carbon, circular models. It supports economic transformation, energy security, environmental and health gains, and resilience. Key tools include the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems Nexus (WEFE), Non-conventional water resources (NCWR) (treated wastewater, desalination, drainage reuse), smart and green technologies, Nature-based solutions (NbS), regulatory frameworks, green finance, and just transition measures.

Several Arab world countries are driving the green transition by building on their specialized strengths: Gulf states like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia focus on solar desalination, wastewater recycling, and renewable integration; Jordan, Tunisia, and Morocco advance water reuse, energy efficiency, and climate-smart irrigation; Oman modernizes Aflaj irrigation system; while Egypt leads with its comprehensive National Water Strategy 2037 integrating desalination, irrigation efficiency, wastewater reuse, cross-border farming, and green hydrogen development.

The Arab Water Council (AWC) drives this agenda via its WEFE and NCWR Initiatives, the Arab Water Academy (AWA) for multi-level capacity building, and the Arab Geoinformatics Room (AGIR) for climate-risk data. It also mobilizes green/climate finance and fosters regional cooperation. Empowering young professionals through the Arab Water Academy (AWA), which is affiliated with the Arab Water Council (AWC) and specializes in capacity development across key water-related fields, is crucial for closing capacity gaps and equipping the next generation with the knowledge and skills needed to drive sustainable solutions for green transition.

Pathways forward include aligning policies with green transition principles, building institutional capacity, and piloting non-conventional water resources (NCWR) and smart technologies in the short term. In the medium term, efforts should focus on mainstreaming the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems Nexus (WEFE) approach into national plans, scaling up Non-conventional water resources (NCWR) and Nature-based solutions (NbS), and mobilizing climate and green finance to accelerate implementation. In the long term, the goal is to fully decarbonize the water sector using renewable energy, establish regional water security systems, and develop circular water economies that create inclusive green jobs and resilient societies.

Green transition is essential—not optional—for sustainable growth and climate-resilient water security in the Arab region.