KARACHI: President Dr Arif Alvi has called for reinforcement of interprovincial coordination to mitigate the crises of water and food insecurity in Pakistan.

He advocated for provincial consensus on implementation of a water policy to meet the growing demands of food, water and energy in Pakistan.

The president was speaking at the 4th Karachi International Water Conference (KIWC) on the theme of ‘Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Pakistan’s Agenda for the 21st Century’ organised by the Hisaar Foundation at a local hotel here on Tuesday.

The president showed his concern on the implications of global warming. He said that a network of partnerships on water and food security involving private sector, government, civil society, media and people of Pakistan was the need of the hour.

At a water conference, the president expresses concerns over implications of global warming

“We live in a time where our children are rightfully holding us accountable for our mistakes in failing to take care of the environment. They expect us to protect natural resources and leave them a legacy on which to build a water- and food-sufficient society,” he added.

The president advised the organisers of the conference to invite the agriculture and water ministers of all four provinces, including federal ministers, in the next event to give government ownership to this agenda.

“These ministries can take a leading role in devising solid strategies to avoid the risks of drought and flood-like disasters in the country,” he said.

The KIWC takes place in Karachi after every two years.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2019