Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Dr. Musadik Malik, met with a delegation from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) headed by Mr. Lifeng Li, Director of the Land and Water Division. The meeting focused on strengthening collaboration in sustainable land management, water resources, and climate-resilient development.
Mr. Lifeng Li emphasized that food systems and resource management are critical for Pakistan, given its vulnerability to climate impacts. He briefed the Minister on FAO’s ongoing initiatives, including efforts to prevent land degradation, improve the use of Indus Basin resources, and enhance water governance. He also presented the Country Programming Framework (2023–2027) for Pakistan as well as the Aqua Portal, a platform for inter-agency information and data sharing.
Dr. Musadik Malik appreciated FAO’s support and underscored the need to prioritise areas where public returns are low, particularly capacity building and institutional strengthening. He also discussed the establishment of Green Clusters through the facilitation of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination to connect young Pakistani entrepreneurs working on green startups with international investors.
The Minister further called for a structured collaborative framework covering administrative coordination, capacity building, and public–private partnerships. He stressed that climate-related projects must not rely on the repurposing of loans meant for education, health, and human development, as such practices hinder progress on SDGs. Dr. Malik further emphasised the importance of active involvement of the Ministry and strong strategic alignment between federal, provincial, and international partners to ensure coherence and long-term impact.
