US water security experts visit Pakistan to partner on climate & environment

Celina Ali

Islamabad: As part of the Climate & Environment Working Group (CEWG) and the Green Alliance Framework, a delegation of U.S. water security experts visited Islamabad, December 11-15. The delegation included representatives from the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Embassy Islamabad, and USAID.

The delegation met with the Ministries of Water Resources, Climate Change, the Federal Flood Commission (FFC), the Indus River System Authority (IRSA), provincial irrigation departments, academia, and private sector partners to discuss the Living Indus initiative, Recharge Pakistan, water management and governance, and hydropower issues. The delegation also visited a water treatment plant and Simly Dam.

Addressing government, academia, and private sector partners, the delegation discussed partnerships to address water security issues, including access to clean water, managing flood risks after the devastating floods of 2022, and supporting climate-smart agriculture. The CEWG is a flagship bilateral initiative to strengthen cooperation on agriculture, clean energy, and water, with the ultimate aims of improving Pakistani lives and protecting the environment. The third, high-level CEWG Dialogue will take place in spring 2024 in Washington, D.C.