About The Conference
Roughly two-thirds of the 263 transboundary lake and river basins - that cover almost half the Earth's surface, and are home to about 40 percent of the world's population - do not have a cooperative management framework. 145 States have territory in these basins, and 30 countries lie entirely within them. There are approximately 300 transboundary aquifers, helping to serve the 2 billion people who depend on groundwater.
Cooperation is essential, especially in areas vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and where water is already scarce. Population growth, socio-economic development, and mismanagement of existing water supplies across the world, are expected to combine with climate change threats to challenge the ability of many countries, some already resource-stressed, to meet their domestic water needs. This can threaten human security, food security, national security, and regional stability. Across the world, increasing threats to the available supply of water can disrupt food security as the greatest consumer of water is the agricultural sector. Facing similar threats, Pakistan and its neighbors need to strengthen water management on the two transboundary river basins - Indus and Kabul. Both the river basins are critical for the food, energy and human security needs of the countries' population. While the Indus River shared with India is governed under the Indus Water Treaty 1960, the Kabul River has no cooperative arrangement between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Even the treaty with India on water-sharing overlooks the many vulnerabilities of the Indus Basin - including climate change, environmental flow management and socio-economic development. The Indus is the world's most vulnerable water tower owing to high dependence downstream and greater impact of climate change, socio-economic development and associated rises in water use, and geopolitical instability. Management of transboundary water upstream and downstream also holds true for provincial boundaries within Pakistan. Cross-country collaborations between scientists, academia and civil society are playing a promising role in trust building. A policy push promoting diplomatic efforts between countries for sharing benefits of transboundary rivers can significantly accelerate the dividends for riparian countries. The platform of Water beyond Boundaries: Integrated Management of Shared Water Resources is dedicated to the need for strengthening transboundary water management in the region, discussing developments in policy, emerging knowledge in science, avenues and opportunities for cooperation and lessons Pakistan can learn to improve transboundary water governance. The conference will feature moderated discussions with leading specialists, thought leaders and decision makers, a media talk show with government policymakers and the launch of a pioneering book on transboundary water management.