Pakistan’s water supply is consistently being stretched due to a rising population and industrialization. It has also become a water-stressed country and is predicted to become a water-scarce country in the near future due to the impacts of climate change.

With an economically and culturally diverse population living in different climate zones, topographies, and ecosystems, Pakistan is especially vulnerable to weather and other effects of climate change including, erratic rainfall, glacial melting, rising temperatures, and drought.

Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) will participate in the first-ever Pakistan Water Week 2021 International Conference, with the theme “Needs for Sustainable Water Management in a Climate Crisis for Indus Basin”, from 6-9 December 2021.

The conference seeks to bring together academics, government officials, non-government organizations (NGOs), and policy experts to discuss the various water problems experienced by Pakistan and make suitable recommendations for a climate-resilient future.

The conference is jointly organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology, through the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), in collaboration with International Water Management Institute (IWMI) Pakistan and CGIAR’s Water Land and Ecosystem (WLE) flagship program.

ADPC, being a partner organization of the international conference, will be participating in a number of thematic sessions to enhance the implementation of national water policies, promote the application of various water management and forecasting systems, and determine the critical link water plays in food security and access to energy as part of Pakistan’s initiatives towards rapid, yet sustainable development.

Mr. Hans Guttman, Executive Director of ADPC, will deliver a keynote speech in the thematic session on “Policy Coherence, Implementation and Institutional Coordination in the Water, Food, and Energy Sectors in a Changing Climate”.

The session aims to explore the engagement of multiple stakeholders in the monitoring and evaluation of community responses to ensure that policy priorities are being met.

The session is scheduled for Monday, 6 December 2021, from 14:00 (PKT) or 16:00 Bangkok time. Click here to register via Zoom.

Through its Climate Adaptation and Resilience (CARE) for South Asia project, ADPC’s water sector experts will also be participating in different sessions to mainstream climate-informed water accounting and management in plans, policies, and investments for a resilient future in the region.

Dr. Niladri Gupta, Senior Water Resources Management Specialist at ADPC, will participate in the thematic session on “Nature-Based Solutions for Improving Water Resilience and Sustainability”.

The session will discuss nature-based solutions (NbS) for water to complement and, in some instances, replace traditional engineered (grey) infrastructure. The discussion will focus on evidences to quantify outcomes and better determine the role of NbS in water resource management in any given context.

The session will take place on Tuesday, 7 December 2021, from 09:00 (PKT) or 11:00 Bangkok time. Click here to register via Zoom.

Mr. Zamir Ahmed Soomro, Water Resources Management Specialist at ADPC-Pakistan, will participate in the thematic session on "The Water-Energy-Food Nexus for the Indus Basin".

The session will provide a knowledge platform to better understand the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus in a changing climate and develop more climate-resilient water and land solutions in such sectors as farming and irrigation systems. The session aims to support climate adaptation interventions in the Indus Basin.

The session will take place on Tuesday, 7 December 2021, from 13:30 (PKT) or 15:30 Bangkok time. Click here to register via Zoom.

The CARE for South Asia project is supported by the World Bank and its overall objective is to contribute to an enabling environment for climate resilient policies and investments in agriculture, transport, water, and policy, planning and finance sectors in South Asia.