The Prime Minister pledges to uphold Pakistan’s entitlement to water as stipulated by the Indus Waters Treaty.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif asserted that Pakistan will uphold its entitlement to water as stipulated in the Indus Water Treaty.

He articulated his determination in his statement for the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, commemorated annually on 17 June. The day underscores the worldwide imperative to combat land degradation and bolster resilience against the increasing effects of drought.

“The theme for 2025 is ‘Restore the Land.’” “Unlock the chances” serves as a pertinent call to action, emphasizing that the restoration of degraded landscapes is crucial for enhancing climate resilience as well as for realizing social, economic, and environmental advantages,” stated the premier.

Pakistan is dedicated to fulfilling its international obligations, especially those accords essential for regional peace.

He emphasized that India’s unilateral moves intended to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty are a significant issue for Pakistan.

“The Treaty does not include provisions for such actions, and the Indus waters are essential for the sustenance of 240 million individuals in Pakistan. The Prime Minister stated, “The Government of Pakistan will assert its entitlement to water as stipulated in the Treaty, while concurrently intensifying initiatives to improve its domestic water storage capacity.”

Land is an essential resource for Pakistan’s food security, water accessibility, biodiversity preservation, and rural livelihoods. Approximately 50% of our land area is impacted by several forms of degradation caused by deforestation, overgrazing, salinity, waterlogging, and unregulated urbanization. These problems are exacerbated by climate change, which has increased the frequency and intensity of droughts, wildfires, and floods. The enormous floods of 2022 and persistent droughts show the magnitude of the issues we encounter.

He stated that the government has prioritized sustainable land management and ecosystem restoration as fundamental components of its climate resilience program. Significant initiatives such as the Up-scaling of the Green Pakistan Programme have led to the planting of more than 2.2 billion trees, he noted.

“We are also executing the National Climate Change Policy and National Adaptation Plan to direct integrated land use and improve ecological integrity. These policy frameworks correspond with our obligations under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), of which Pakistan has been a Party since 1997.

Prime Minister Shehbaz has implored all stakeholders to collaborate in rehabilitating the nation’s lands and ensuring a climate-resilient future for forthcoming generations.