Lakhasly

As we are at the Water is essential for life. No living being on planet Earth can survive without it. It is a prerequisite for human health and welt-being as wali as for the preservation of the environment. Water scarcity, implies large challenges in Oman in addition to what is expected from climate change effect related to natural disasters such as floods and droughts. Meeting basäc human needs, water supply and sanitation services, as well as water as a resource critical to sustainabte development. Oman have taken important plans to meet this goals,
Water challertees will increase significantly in the coming years. Continuing population growth and rising incomes that wili lead to greater water consumption, as well as more waste. The availability of the renewable water resource in Oman is Uscarce" and water security demands priority attention with la,-ge investment in desalination, wastewater treatment and in integrated water resources management. Wastewater from municipal areas represents an important resource that should be incorporated within resource planning. As the coverage of collection and treatment systems expands, 0 effluent of better quality may be used beneficially either for direct use in agriculture or to recharge the aquifer through recharge lagoons-
While the long term water security of the population has to be ensured, a scund balance has to be struck between the use cf indigenous water and imported "virtua5 water* I within the confines of the economy. Opportunities to augment resources by conventional and non-conventional means have been identified and are at varying stages of development.
The introduction of appropriate demand management measures in areas irrigated from welds l*hll have to be introduced to overcome locally serious deficits, if Oman is to ensure the future sustainable usa of water resources o and yet meet the demands for domestic and industrial supplies. Public awareness information campaigns should be augmented as a preliminary

action to active conservation control, of domestiq industrial and agricultural water use. The state of sanitation in Oman is given high priorities with access to sanitation across the country to more than 90% of the population. Progress on sanitation and drinking water were given special
The Millennium Deveiopment Goal's (MDGs) targeted by 2015 the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drjnking water and basic sanitation. At the current rate Of progress, Oman allow access to sanitation and safe drinking water to all people by the year 2015 exceeding the mitlennium goals target