Water moot urges collective action amid crisis

Experts stress need for sustainable management practices

Leaders from government, industry, academia, and donor communities urged collective efforts to tackle the water crisis at the Pakistan Water Stewardship Conference 2026, held from March 31 to April 1 in Islamabad.

Organised by WWF-Pakistan, in collaboration with the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) and the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI), the conference focused on safeguarding freshwater resources and building resilient communities amidst Pakistan's growing vulnerability to climate change."

Speaking at the event, Director-General of the Ministry of Climate Change, Asif Sahibzada, said, "Pakistan remains among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Over the past two decades, we have faced recurring extreme weather events and significant economic losses," he said, referring to the devastating 2025 floods that affected an estimated 4 to 7 million people and caused large-scale economic damage.

"Water stewardship is not the responsibility of a single institution. It requires collective action. Platforms like today's conference are essential for building partnerships, sharing knowledge, and identifying scalable solutions for sustainable water management," he said.

Director of the WWF-Pakistan Freshwater Programme, Sohail Ali Naqvi, added, "Water risks affect governments, industries, and communities alike, and cannot be addressed through standalone efforts. We need inclusive, multi-stakeholder approaches to manage water sustainably."