ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – Experts has warned that Pakistan cannot build real resilience unless water, food and climate are addressed together, not as isolated sectors. They expressed their views while addressing the opening session of the Pakistan Water Week 2025.
The conference, themed “From Scarcity to Sustainability: Collaborative Pathways for Water, Food, and Climate Resilience,” brings together scientists, academics, government officials, development partners, and policy specialists from Pakistan and abroad.
The event is organised by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) Pakistan in collaboration with PCRWR, CGIAR Policy Innovations, CGIAR Climate Action, with support from the EU, FCDO, UNICEF and ICIMOD.
Former irrigation and finance minister Muhammad Mohsin Khan Leghari, the chief guest, said Pakistan is already experiencing climate change through water, from extreme droughts to unprecedented flooding, yet water still remains politically under-prioritised and fragmented in climate negotiations. “Collaboration is the force multiplier that turns scarcity into sustainability,” he stressed.
In her keynote, IWMI Deputy Director General Dr Rachael McDonnell said the conference comes at a critical moment: floods in June killed more than 1,000 people and affected nearly seven million. “The water crisis is a climate crisis,” she said, adding that water must be placed at the centre of COP processes and global climate negotiations. Pakistan now has only 900 cubic meters of water per person, a stark reminder of the need for urgent action.
Dr. Mohsin Hafeez, IWMI Director, warned that Pakistan’s rising population is straining fragile water systems, with agriculture and cities outpacing resources. He emphasized that Pakistan is rapidly shifting from "water-stressed" to "water-scarce" and called for innovative, collective action to ensure water security as a key national priority.