Over the last decades, exacerbating climate change and rising population demands have intensified water stress globally. This situation is particularly of concern in South Asia—home to 1.9 billion people. Pakistan is poised to be most direly impacted by the shifting climate and water patterns. Climate-induced water insecurity is already creating significant socio-economic and development challenges for Pakistan.
Join the American Pakistan Foundation and the Stimson Center for a discussion on water insecurity in Pakistan with Aisha Khan of the Civil Society Coalition for Climate Change; women's rights activist and climate change professional Simi Kamal, and Farwa Aamer, Research Analyst with the Stimson Center’s Energy, Water, & Sustainability program.
The discussion will address the current water situation in Pakistan, future trends, and possible ways in which Pakistan can work towards managing scarce water resources and developing a robust framework for climate adaptation and disaster risk mitigation.
Speaker Biographies
Aisha Khan has over 20 years of experience in development work. As Founder & Head of the Civil Society Coalition for Climate Change & Mountain and Glacier Protection Organization, she works at the community and policy level to strengthen climate action by supporting inclusive and participatory practices that promote social ecological and democratic equity. She is a member on the Board of Directors of several organizations and provides expert advice on climate change related adaptation and mitigation challenges. She is currently serving as the convener of the Working Group on Climate Security at the Strategic Policy Planning Cell, National Security Division. She is also part of the External Advisory Council of the World Bank on developing the South Asia Region Climate Change Action Plan (2020-2025). She contributes articles to newspapers and magazines and takes part in national and international discourse on climate change. In 2019 she was awarded the Bright Award for Environmental Sustainability at Stanford University. In 2021 she was awarded with the Rank of Officer in the National Order of Merit by the Government of France.
Simi Kamal has 40 years of experience as a geographer, water and climate change professional, poverty alleviation specialist, and women’s rights activist. She has traveled to 50 countries and has global recognition in policy, strategy, evaluations, assessments, programming, and delivery. She has headed over 200 postings and assignments as Chief of Party, Team Leader, and Consultant. She is the author and co-author of 180 research and evaluation reports, 50 plus handbooks and training modules, several book chapters, and over 400 articles and papers. She is the recipient of international and national awards. She is the Founder and Chairperson of Hisaar Foundation the Vice-Chair of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and served for nine years on the Technical Committee of the Global Water Partnership (GWP). She was a member of the National Commission on the Status of Women, Chief of Party of the USAID Gender Equity Program (GEP), and Head of Grants at Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund. She has recently established the Panjwani-Hisaar Water Institute (PHWI) at the NED University in Pakistan and serves on several international and national boards, committees, and task forces.
Farwa Aamer is a Research Analyst with the Stimson Center’s Energy, Water, & Sustainability program. Her research focuses primarily on the security and political dimensions of transboundary river water governance in the Himalayan region. Farwa periodically organizes and convenes Track II dialogues and discussions designed to facilitate greater inter-and intra-regional cooperation on issues around water security and hydro-diplomacy in South Asia, Central Asia, and the MENA regions. Prior to joining the Stimson Center, Farwa served as the Director of the South Asia program at the EastWest Institute (EWI)—a global think tank headquartered in New York. At EWI, Farwa worked on promoting non-traditional channels of diplomacy and establishing multi-stakeholder platforms for shared economic, financial, and geopolitical interests by bringing together media influencers, thought leaders, and business experts from within South Asia and across the globe.