"The concern has recently taken a greater importance with the increased frequency and prolonged periods of droughts being experienced worldwide," said Muhammad Saeed Al-Kindi, United Arab Emirates' Minister of Environment and Water.

In a report this month, the world's top climate scientists predicted that billions of people would face water scarcity and hundreds of millions would likely go hungry as damage to Earth's weather systems from greenhouse gases changed rainfall patterns, punched up the power of storms and boosted the risk of drought, flooding and water stress.

"Consequently, this century will see a greater emphasis being placed on the desalinated water and the re-use of treated water, and the extent to which these important resources will contribute to the overall supply of water globally," Al-Kindi said at a global summit of public and private sector leaders discussing the issue.

Parts of the Middle East, which are among the most arid regions in the world, and some Asia-Pacific countries, have already turned to desalination and treated water to augment current supplies, officials said.

Singapore, which lacks natural resources including water, has invested billions of dollars in water-related projects including desalination and recycling plants to reduce its reliance on imported water.

The wealthy Southeast Asian state in March opened its largest water recycling plant as part of a blueprint to reduce its dependence on imported water from neighbouring Malaysia.

The plant, the fourth such facility in Singapore, has the capacity to produce 32 million gallons of NEWater, a term coined by the government to describe the treated water.

NEWater is one of Singapore's four so-called national taps which also include local catchments, imported water from Malaysia and desalinated water, said Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources.

"Within our own context and circumstances, we in Singapore have over the last 40 years carefully planned and put in place a robust system that has ensured a sustainable supply of clean water for our needs, both for drinking and industry," he said.

With water scarcity likely to worsen, countries must join forces to address the problem, said Sayyid Badr Al-Busaidi, Oman's undersecretary with the ministry of foreign affairs.

"International cooperation, therefore, in the areas of desalination and water re-use is essential because as each year passes, it becomes ever clearer that we collectively face an environmental challenge of global proportions," he said.

Singapore's Yaacob echoed such thoughts. "Water is crucial to sustain life. Having a sustainable supply of clean water is a priority for all of us," he said.

The UN estimates that by 2025 two-thirds of the planet's population will be living with water stress, particularly in North Africa, the Middle East and West Asia.

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