Iran's Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian traveled to Istanbul, Turkey, on Tuesday to take part in a summit of OIC ministers responsible for water. Chitchian is slated to meet Turkish ministers of energy and forest and water management and the co-chairman of Iran-Turkey Commission during his four-day trip, IRNA reported. The summit aims to discuss ways and means of strengthening cooperation between OIC member states in water-related issues. OIC countries face varying degrees of water-related challenges, such as water scarcity, floods, lack of safe drinking water and sanitation facilities, droughts and landslides. According to the OIC website, the conference will provide an opportunity for OIC ministers to share and learn from their collective experiences and best practices on water-related issues. Presentations on water cooperation projects will be made and a resolution of various issues related to the water sector will also be adopted. Iran, in particular, has grappled with a lasting water crisis over the past 15 years with precipitation falling to below 200 millimeters against a world average of around 750 millimeters.
