ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the Netherlands have signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance cooperation in water resources planning, development, and integrated management, marking another step in bilateral collaboration on climate resilience and sustainable water governance.
The agreement was signed between Pakistan’s Ministry of Water Resources and the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education during a two to three-day official visit by a Dutch delegation to Islamabad.
The MoU focuses on strengthening the technical capacity of professionals within the ministry and its affiliated organisations, particularly in water resources planning, development strategies, and integrated water management practices.
According to an official statement, the delegation called on Federal Minister for Water Resources Mian Muhammad Mueen Wattoo. The visiting team was led by Prof. Graham Jewitt, Vice Rector and Academic Director of IHE Delft, along with Associate Professor Dr. Ilyas Masih. They were accompanied by Ambassador Robert-Jan Siegert and Deputy Head of Mission Hajo Provó Kluit from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Welcoming the delegation, the minister acknowledged the longstanding partnership between Pakistan and the Netherlands in the water sector. He noted the Netherlands’ global leadership and technical expertise in water management and stressed the importance of deepening collaboration to tackle emerging challenges such as climate change impacts, flood mitigation, and sustainable utilisation of water resources.
During their visit, the IHE Delft delegation is scheduled to engage with leading universities, disaster risk management institutions, and other key stakeholders in Pakistan’s water sector to explore further avenues of cooperation.
The MoU is expected to contribute to improved institutional capacity and knowledge exchange, reinforcing Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen water governance amid growing climate and resource pressures.
