Abu Dhabi: Following the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the oversight of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, the Executive Committee of the Initiatives of His Highness the President of the United Arab Emirates has greenlit a significant development plan for water dams and canals across the nation. According to Emirates News Agency, the approved projects include the construction of nine new water dams, the expansion of two existing dams, and the erection of several embankment barriers. This initiative is in line with the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036, which aims to augment the country's water infrastructure capacities to better manage climate change impacts and enhance water reserve capabilities through improved collection of rainwater and floodwaters. The projects, which boast a collective storage capacity of up to 8 million cubic meters, are scheduled for completion wit hin 19 months. They also encompass the construction of nine water canals, extending about 9 kilometers, intended to alleviate the effects of water flow from rainfall in targeted residential areas. The targeted development areas for these projects include Shis and Khor Fakkan in the Emirate of Sharjah, Masfout in the Emirate of Ajman, and Sha'am and Al Fahleen in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, among others in Mohamed bin Zayed City and various locations in the Emirate of Fujairah such as Hail, Qidfa, Murbeh, Dadna, Al Seeji, and Ghazimri.