American Ambassador Opens Water-Energy-Food Security Nexus Conference

American Ambassador Opens Water-Energy-Food Security Nexus Conference

Islamabad, February 16, 2016 – American Ambassador David Hale, Federal Minister of Planning, Development, and Reform Professor Ahsan Iqbal, and Rector NUST Engineer Muhammad Asghar opened the Water, Energy, Food Security Nexus Conference on February 16 at the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) in Islamabad.  The conference was designed to bring together experts to discuss the impact of climate change, population growth, economic development, and increased consumption on water, energy, and food security throughout the world, and to develop possible solutions to some of these issues.

“Water, energy, and food:  three basic components of life…complex processes are at work to bring us those essential elements, and demographics and climate change are straining those processes,” Ambassador Hale said.  “Together we need to generate new ideas, new partnerships, and innovative solutions to this challenge.”

The two-day conference brought together policy experts, scientists, and members of private sector businesses to discuss the links between water, energy, and agriculture.  Participants considered solutions on how to develop clear government policies and effective use of resources to ensure food, water, and energy security.  The conference highlighted continued cooperation between both nations in key areas of water, energy and food security discussed during the meeting of President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in October 2015. 

“The importance of cooperation across borders to address global issues such as water and food security cannot be understated,” Engineer Asghar said.  “These are issues that cross borders, and the solutions can benefit all people, regardless of where they live.”

The United States and Pakistan have a long history of energy cooperation and continue to work together to help attract private sector investments in natural gas and clean energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, and hydro.  Both nations pressed for an ambitious agreement on climate change at the Conference of Parties 21 in Paris in December, and continue to work together on such issues through the Clean Energy Partnership and the Strategic Dialogue. 

Source: US Embassy, Islamabad.