ISLAMABAD: Senator Sherry Rehman on Monday stressed the importance of regional cooperation and strengthening trans-boundary resilience for water management and climate change in order to preempt their adverse impacts.

“The level of emergency we are facing is beyond comprehension. The apocalypse is no longer a distant future; it is happening right now,” she stated, pointing out that greenhouse gas emissions were directly responsible for the climate stress the world was experiencing. She expressed her surprise at how little attention was given to water, the “real problem” at the heart of trans-boundary management and resilience, particularly within the destructive nature of geopolitics.

She expressed these views while speaking at a conference ‘Strengthening trans-boundary resilience: enhancing regional cooperation’ organised by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS).

Senator Rehman underscored the growing disconnect in global cooperation, stating, “We were more connected 300 years ago than we are now. Were we more rational, more intelligent then? These are the choices we have made, and now we face the consequences.” She criticised the current state of global politics, noting that “Good old-fashioned geopolitics and an obsession with hyper-nationalism are doing nothing for trans-boundary resilience. The 21st century requires treaties and collaboration, not conflict.”

She drew attention to Pakistan’s precarious situation, being one of the top five countries in terms of per capita water usage, consequently facing water scarcity by 2025. “We need to reframe these conversations which are too often left for seminars and ignored by mainstream discourse,” she asserted.

She called for a revision of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) to reflect current climate realities, criticising its reliance on historical data rather than new, cautionary statistics.

Senator Rehman unpacked the importance of nature-based solutions, citing the “Living Indus” initiative as a significant project that requires community awareness and trans-boundary collaboration.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2024