Posted on April, 02 2026
Pakistan is facing escalating water stress driven by climate change, rapid urbanization, ecosystem degradation, population growth, and rising agricultural and industrial demand. Against this backdrop, government, industry, academia and development partners came together to identify scalable solutions and strengthen collective action for sustainable water management.
WWF-Pakistan, in collaboration with key government institutions and its knowledge partners, the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) and the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI), convened the Pakistan Water Stewardship Conference 2026 to strengthen national and international partnerships for addressing the country’s growing water crisis. Leaders from government, industry, academia, and donor communities gathered at Serena Hotel, Islamabad, for two days of policy dialogues, roundtable discussions, and technical sessions focused on safeguarding freshwater resources and building resilient communities.
Speaking at the conference, Mr. Asif Sahibzada, Honorable Director General, Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, stressed Pakistan’s acute vulnerability to climate change. “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.
Highlighting the need for collective action, he added: “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 further emphasized strengthening institutional capacity and improving compliance with multilateral environmental commitments as key priorities for national resilience.
Building on this perspective, Mr. Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General/CEO, WWF-Pakistan, underscored the urgency of coordinated action. He noted that sustainable water management requires strong collaboration between government, industry, and communities to protect freshwater ecosystems. “Nature-based solutions and responsible water use are critical for building resilience against climate change,” he said, adding that WWF-Pakistan remains committed to supporting basin-level stewardship initiatives and promoting sustainable water practices across sectors.
Expanding on the importance of cross-sector collaboration, Mr. Sohail Ali Naqvi, Director Freshwater Programme, WWF-Pakistan, stated: “Water risks are not isolated—they affect governments, industries, and communities alike, and cannot be addressed through standalone efforts. We need more inclusive, multi-stakeholder approaches to manage water sustainably across basins, with corporate partnerships playing a critical role in advancing effective water stewardship.
From a policy and trade perspective, Dr. Nabil Amin, Head of the National Compliance Center, Ministry of Commerce, highlighted structural gaps in translating industrial ambition into globally recognized performance standards. “The challenge we face is immediate. Pakistan has the industrial base, the workforce, and the export ambition. What we lack is the institutional infrastructure to convert ambition into verified, trusted performance that global markets will accept. Water is not peripheral to that mission-it is one of its most critical fronts.”He further emphasized emerging global market pressures: “In today’s global economy, water performance defines competitiveness, not just compliance. Industries that fail to manage water risks are increasingly being left behind in global value chains, as evident in the leather sector, where Pakistan is exporting low-value raw material to China and India instead of tapping into higher-value global markets due to compliance gaps.” He urged businesses to adopt compliance as a competitive advantage.
Dr. Hifza Rasheed, Director General of the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), Ministry of Water Resources, Government of Pakistan, highlighted the importance of strengthening water governance in Pakistan. She outlined key dimensions of the country’s water governance landscape, with particular emphasis on enhancing coordination across institutions, sectors, and river basins. She also acknowledged WWF-Pakistan in partnering with PCRWR’s in organizing the Pakistan National Water Stewardship Conference in collaboration with WWF-Pakistan.
Over the two days, sessions addressed key themes including integrated water resources management, sustainable agriculture and irrigation, urban water resilience, and industrial water stewardship.
The conference resulted in several measurable outcomes, including recommendations for harmonized basin-level planning and institutional coordination, a set of public-private partnership pilots focused on groundwater recharge, irrigation modernization, and wastewater reuse, as well as a roadmap for sustainable water management.
Attendees included representatives from the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), UN agencies, Water Resources Zone Irrigation Department Punjab, Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), Punjab Municipal Development Fund Company (PMDFC), Urban Unit, Institute of Architects Pakistan (IAP), International Waterlogging and Salinity Research Institute (IWASRI), PCRWR, University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Forman Christian College University (FCCU), CDA, Hissar Foundation and other several NGOs.
Concluding the conference, Dr. Masood Arshad, Senior Director Programmes, WWF-Pakistan, stated: “Water is Pakistan’s future. The challenges are serious, but the solutions are within our reach through collective action. Let us move forward with commitment to act, collaborate, and scale practical solutions. He added that, together, stakeholders can secure a more resilient and water-secure Pakistan.
