Pakistan, Netherlands ink water management pact to tackle climate pressures

WEB DESK: In a significant step towards strengthening Pakistan’s water governance framework, the Ministry of Water Resources has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education of the Netherlands. The agreement, formalised in Islamabad on Tuesday, is designed to deepen technical cooperation and enhance institutional capacity in water resources planning, development and integrated management.

Strengthening technical cooperation

According to APP, the MoU was concluded during a high-level meeting between ministry officials and a visiting delegation from IHE Delft. The partnership centres on the professional training of personnel from the Ministry of Water Resources and its affiliated bodies, with the aim of equipping Pakistani engineers and policymakers with internationally recognised expertise in water management.

The delegation was led by Professor Graham Jewitt, Vice Rector and Academic Director of IHE Delft, alongside Associate Professor Dr Ilyas Masih. They met Federal Minister for Water Resources Mian Muhammad Mueen Wattoo in the presence of the Dutch Ambassador to Pakistan, Robert-Jan Siegert, and Deputy Head of Mission Hajo Provó Kluit. The discussions underscored a shared commitment to advancing technical collaboration in response to mounting environmental challenges.

Confronting climate pressures

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister Wattoo commended the longstanding partnership between Pakistan and the Netherlands, noting the latter’s global reputation in water management. He stressed that enhanced cooperation would be essential in addressing pressing concerns such as climate change, flood mitigation and the sustainable utilisation of national water resources.

Pakistan continues to grapple with the twin challenges of catastrophic flooding and growing water scarcity pressures that have intensified in recent years due to climate variability. The Netherlands, much of which lies below sea level, is widely regarded as a pioneer in adaptive water governance and flood resilience, offering a model of ‘living with water’ rather than merely resisting it.

A broader engagement

The IHE Delft delegation is undertaking a two-to-three-day official visit to Pakistan. In addition to engagements at ministerial level, the team is scheduled to hold consultations with leading universities in the water sector, disaster risk management institutions, as well as environmental and agricultural stakeholders.

As one of the countries most vulnerable to climate-related risks, Pakistan stands to benefit significantly from structured knowledge exchange and technical capacity building. Through this collaboration with IHE Delft widely recognised as the world’s largest international graduate water education institution the government aims to modernise infrastructure planning and promote more resilient, forward-looking water governance strategies.