PM Shehbaz calls for strong political will, global leadership to combat water crisis

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday emphasized the importance of strong political will and global leadership to address the water crisis, which poses an existential threat to nations worldwide, Radio Pakistan reported.

He made these remarks while speaking at the “One Water Summit,” held alongside the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP-16) in Riyadh.

PM Shehbaz reaches Riyadh to participate in ‘One Water Summit’

The Prime Minister emphasized that water is a crucial element for economic development, food security, and environmental sustainability.

He noted that nearly half of the world’s population experiences water scarcity at least part of the year.

He expressed concern that billions of people still lack access to clean drinking water, while water pollution is increasing at alarming rates.

The Prime Minister highlighted that water resources are rapidly depleting and degrading, leading to the displacement of millions and causing unprecedented destruction.

Emphasizing the need for collective action to address the impacts of climate change and population growth, he informed leaders at the summit that Pakistan continues to struggle with the catastrophic floods of 2022, which caused widespread damage to its water resources and irrigation sector, affecting millions of lives and livelihoods.

Additionally, he pointed out that droughts pose an equally significant threat to the country. Approximately seventy percent of Pakistan’s land is arid or semi-arid, and around thirty percent of the population is directly affected by drought-like conditions.

Plans aimed at overcoming water shortages in Karachi highlighted

He expressed concern that projected temperature increases in Pakistan are significantly higher than the global average. He warned that without concerted international action, the scale and frequency of such catastrophic disasters and challenges are likely to increase, as Pakistan is one of the ten countries most vulnerable to climate change.

Commenting on the Transboundary Water Management, the Prime Minister said that water transcended political boundaries, connecting nations and fostering shared ecosystems. He said that Pakistan attaches great importance to transboundary cooperation.

Citing the example of Indus Water Treaty, he said that the treaty witnessed unprecedented challenges in the recent years, due to a number of factors, including construction of upstream dams, whereas its effective functioning was key to maintaining regional peace and stability.

Shedding light on the ‘Recharge Pakistan’ initiative, he said we are also finalizing a ‘National Drought Plan’ that identifies the most drought affected areas, and proposes effective response mechanisms to mitigate the impact of drought in these areas.

The Prime Minister proposed a six-point global agenda to address water-related challenges. He called for international cooperation to ensure sustainable water and sanitation for all, share knowledge and expertise, and transfer innovative water management technologies.

He also emphasized the need for adequate funding for climate-resilient infrastructure, overcoming the financing gap in vulnerable countries, and creating frameworks for transparency, data sharing, and regional cooperation to prevent conflicts and promote water sharing.

The Prime Miniter also highlighted the importance of investing in skills development, research, and strengthening institutions to tackle water issues at both national and global levels.

Praising the leadership of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in establishing the Global Water Organization, he said Pakistan is proud to join as a founding member and offer our full support to its goals.

Shehbaz Sharif also expressed his profound gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, France, and Kazakhstan, as well as the World Bank for organizing the timely summit, to deliberate upon, water security, which is one of the most pressing challenges of humanity.