Islamabad, 24 November 2025 – Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Malik met a Food and Agriculture Organization delegation led by Mr Lifeng Li, Director of the Land and Water Division, to deepen FAO collaboration on sustainable land management and water governance.
Mr Lifeng Li outlined FAO initiatives aimed at preventing land degradation, improving the use of Indus Basin resources and strengthening water governance across Pakistan. He also briefed the minister on the Country Programming Framework 2023–2027 and demonstrated the Aqua Portal, a platform designed to facilitate interagency data sharing and coordination on water and land issues.
Dr Musadik Malik welcomed FAO support and highlighted the need to prioritise interventions with high public value but low private return, especially in capacity building and institutional strengthening. The minister proposed the creation of Green Clusters to connect young Pakistani entrepreneurs working on green startups with international investors, a measure intended to catalyse private sector engagement while promoting sustainable practices.
The discussion stressed the importance of a structured collaborative framework covering administrative coordination, capacity building and public private partnerships to ensure projects deliver long term impact. Dr Malik cautioned against repurposing loans intended for education, health or human development for climate projects, saying such practices undermine progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals and weaken sectoral outcomes.
Both sides agreed on the need for strong strategic alignment between federal, provincial and international partners to ensure coherence and sustained outcomes. The meeting positioned FAO collaboration as a key pillar for Pakistan’s efforts to enhance climate resilience, protect productive land and improve water resource management across the Indus Basin.
