Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday underscored the need for strong political will and global leadership to overcome the water crisis posing an existential threat to nations around the globe.

The prime minister, addressing the One Water Summit on the Margins of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification under the theme “Restore, Preserve, and Adapt” in Riyadh expressed his gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, France, and Kazakhstan, as well as the World Bank for organising the summit, to deliberate upon what he said was one of humanity’s most pressing challenges: water security.

The prime minister arrived in Riyadh earlier today on a two-day visit to attend the summit.

He said that water was the lifeblood of the planet; a cornerstone of economic development, food security, and environmental sustainability.

“This life-sustaining resource, however, is coming under increasing stress. Nearly half of the world’s population is facing, water scarcity, for at least part of the year. Billions remain, without clean drinking water, as water pollution, is rising, at alarming levels,” he added.

The prime minister underlined that water resources were fast depleting and degrading, which was displacing millions and causing unprecedented destruction.

“This is not a distant threat, but an alarm bell, for collective action. Pakistan is no stranger to these challenges. Our rivers, glaciers and aquifers are increasingly vulnerable to the impact of climate change, and population growth,” he said.

He apprised the leaders at the summit that Pakistan was still grappling with the 2022 catastrophic floods, that caused, widespread damage, to its water resources and irrigation sector, in addition to affecting millions of lives and livelihoods.

At the same time, he said droughts posed an equally potent threat to the country.

“Nearly 70 per cent of our land consists of arid and semi-arid areas and around 30pc of our population, is directly affected by drought-like conditions. Projected temperature increases in Pakistan, are significantly higher than the global average,” PM Shehbaz added.

The premier highlighted that such catastrophic disasters and challenges were likely to scale up further in the absence of concerted international actions as Pakistan was one of the top ten countries most vulnerable due to climate change.

Commenting on transboundary water management, he said that water transcended political boundaries, connecting nations and fostering shared ecosystems.

“Pakistan, therefore, attaches great importance to transboundary cooperation. The Indus Water Treaty, which governs, the sharing of the Indus Basin’s waters, is one example of such an arrangement.”

He added that the treaty witnessed unprecedented challenges in recent years, due to a number of factors, including the construction of upstream dams, whereas its effective functioning was key to maintaining regional peace and stability.

The prime minister also shed light on the ‘Recharge Pakistan’ initiative that aimed to address climate-induced flood risks and mitigate drought impacts through ecosystem-based adaptations.

“We are also finalising a ‘National Drought Plan’ that identifies the most drought-affected areas and proposes effective response mechanisms to mitigate the impact of drought in these areas,” he said.

The prime minister proposed a six-point agenda at the global level to overcome water-related challenges.

He advocated the need for international cooperation and collaboration, to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”, as provided for in Sustainable Development Goal 6; exchange of knowledge and expertise, as well as transfer of technologies on innovative water management on priority; adequate funding for climate-resilient infrastructure and overcoming the financing gap — a critical challenge for climate vulnerable countries; frameworks for transparency, data sharing and regional cooperation to avoid conflicts, and promote water sharing; investment in skills development, research, and institutional strengthening to tackle water challenges at national and global levels and finally, a strong political will and global leadership to overcome the water crisis.

He commended the leadership, and initiative of Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to establish, the Global Water Organisation.

“We are proud to join this initiative, as one of its founding members and look forward to providing, all possible support, in achieving its important goals,” he said.

The prime minister recalled nostalgic scenes of children playing along the rivers that traversed his home city, Lahore, and the fisherfolk and their boats along the Ravi river.

“These cherished memories serve as a poignant reminder of what is at stake. As leaders, policymakers, and custodians of the future, it is our duty to ensure that these rivers, lakes, and aquifers that have nourished civilisations for centuries must not be reduced to tales of the past,” he emphasised.

The premier later met the Saudi crown prince.

“We reaffirmed our strong brotherly ties and discussed ways to further enhance our cooperation in trade and investment.

“Frequent high-level exchanges are paving the way for mutually beneficial economic cooperation between our two countries,” he said in a post on X.

The prime minister also met French President Emmanuel Macron in a “warm and productive” meeting.

“I thank the French president for his strong support in organising our climate resilience conference in Geneva. Both of us agreed on enhancing cooperation, especially through the business to business contacts in the areas of agriculture, livestock, IT, skills development and clean drinking water.”

Arrival in Riyadh

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday for a two-day trip to attend the One Water Summit being held from December 3 to 4.

The One Water Summit, part of the One Planet Summit initiative, was announced during the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference. It is being co-hosted by Saudi Arabia, France, Kazakhstan and the World Bank.

The summit aims to address the deteriorating state of global water quality, increasing water scarcity and the rising frequency of water-related natural disasters. The summit will convene alongside the 16th session of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

PM Shehbaz was received by Riyadh Deputy Governor Prince Muhammad bin Abdul Rehman bin Abdul Aziz. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi also accompanied the premier.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ahmed Farooq, Pakistani and Saudi officials were also present.

In a post on X, PM Shehbaz termed the summit a “timely event to deliberate upon collective strategies to tackle water security challenges.

“Together, we aim to accelerate action to combat desertification, address water pollution, and advocate for local, regional and global action. Let’s unite in our pursuit for water sustainability!”

During his two-day stay in Saudi Arabia, PM Shehbaz will deliver a keynote address at a roundtable, where he will spotlight Pakistan’s efforts to combat water scarcity, improve climate resilience, and promote biodiversity. On the sidelines of the summit, he will engage in bilateral meetings with international leaders to further Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement.

This marks PM Shehbaz’s third visit to Saudi Arabia within the past few months. In November 2024, he attended the Arab-Islamic Summit. In October, he participated in the 8th edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII), a premier forum for economic cooperation and innovation.