City Desk
Islamabad: The Institute of Regional Studies (IRS), with Secours Islamique France-Pakistan, held a dialogue on the food-water-climate nexus to shape Pakistan’s priorities ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye. Participants included government officials, diplomats, development partners, UN agencies and experts.
Federal Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain said food security is national security and called for climate-resilient seeds, better livestock breeds, efficient irrigation, accessible finance and crop insurance for smallholders and women farmers. Climate coordinator Romina Khurshid Alam urged clear national priorities, stronger federal-provincial coordination and more attention to vulnerable communities.
Speakers from IRS, SIF-Pakistan, the World Food Programme and GCISC stressed resilience, climate finance, local partnerships, evidence-based policy and linking emergency aid with long-term nutrition and food security. Water expert Ahmed Kamal called for climate-smart irrigation, early-warning systems, and using floodwater for groundwater recharge and storage.
The dialogue also discussed the FAST Partnership and Türkiye’s Turquoise Nexus Initiative as platforms for technical and financial support.
Dr Anjum Rasheed noted that 94 per cent of Pakistan’s freshwater withdrawals go to agriculture, and urged Pakistan to approach COP31 with concrete action rather than only highlighting its vulnerabilities.
