PM Nawaz reaches Tajikistan on two-day trip, urges coordinated efforts to cope water related issues

ISLAMABAD (92 News) - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday reached Dushanbe, Tajikistan on a two-day trip to participate in "Water for Life" conference. While addressing the conference, he underlined the need for integrated and coordinated efforts at regional and international level to cope with water and sanitation related issues. "Water is crucial for many of our goals from poverty eradication and cross-sectoral economic growth to environmental sustainability and food and energy security," he said, while adding that a balanced approach should be followed to ensure effective use of this source of life. He said global demand for water is ever increasing. Urbanization and climate change add to the complexities of the challenge. Risks of flooding and drought due to climatic and other factors, threaten lives and livelihoods undermining sustainable economic growth and prosperity. The Premier while appreciating Tajikistan for investing time to further the global water agenda in the past years, said these efforts have helped promote awareness and catalyze partnerships at all levels. Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan supports Tajikistan's proposal to launch a New International Decade for Action 'Water for Sustainable Development'. He suggested this initiative should be called International Decade for Enhanced Action 'Water for Sustainable Development for All. The Prime Minister said that Pakistan being host to some of world's biggest glaciers and water stressed country; we have attached high importance to water related issues. He said Pakistan has made steady progress in improving access to safe drinking water, in pursuance of the millennium development goals. Earlier, the first Tajik deputy prime minister Davlatali Saidov received Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif upon his arrival at the airport.