ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Türkiye have agreed to strengthen cooperation on climate resilience, flood management and water security ahead of the COP31 climate summit scheduled to be held in Antalya later this year.
The understanding was reached during talks between a high-level Turkish delegation and senior officials of Pakistan’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, according to an official statement issued on Friday.
The discussions focused on regional climate challenges including flood and river basin management, glacier and avalanche risk reduction, multi-hazard early warning systems, desertification and climate-resilient infrastructure development.
The Turkish delegation, facilitated by TİKA, was led by Maruf Aras, while Pakistan’s side was headed by Aisha Humera Moriani. The delegation also included experts from Türkiye’s State Hydraulic Works and General Directorate for Water Management.
The engagement comes as Pakistan remains among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, facing repeated floods, droughts, glacial melting and extreme heatwaves. Türkiye has also expanded its regional role in climate adaptation and disaster resilience initiatives in recent years.
Speaking during the meeting, Aisha Humera Moriani said climate change had become a major economic and security challenge requiring coordinated regional and global responses.
She said Pakistan values Türkiye’s technical expertise and cooperation in efforts aimed at strengthening disaster preparedness, protecting vulnerable ecosystems and improving community resilience.
Maruf Aras reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to expanding cooperation with Pakistan on sustainable land management, water governance and climate adaptation measures.
Officials from both countries also discussed possible collaboration in watershed management, circular economy initiatives, zero-waste models, research programmes and technical capacity-building.
According to the ministry’s spokesperson Mohammad Saleem Shaikh, both sides stressed the importance of increasing regional cooperation as climate-related disasters continue to intensify across Asia and other vulnerable regions.
The two countries also agreed to enhance coordination ahead of the COP31 summit, with a focus on adaptation financing, disaster risk reduction and sustainable climate-resilient development.
