Pakistan and the Netherlands have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen technical capacity and cooperation in water resources planning, development and management, following a high-level meeting in Islamabad on Tuesday.

The MoU was signed between the Ministry of Water Resources and the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education during a 2–3 day official visit by a delegation from the Netherlands-based institute. The agreement focuses on capacity building of professionals from the ministry and its affiliated organisations in areas such as water resources planning, development and integrated management.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Water Resources, the delegation called on Federal Minister for Water Resources Mian Muhammad Mueen Wattoo at the ministry. The delegation was led by Prof Graham Jewitt, Vice Rector and Academic Director of IHE Delft, and Associate Professor Dr Ilyas Masih. The delegation was accompanied by Ambassador Robert-Jan Siegert and Deputy Head of Mission Hajo Provó Kluit of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Welcoming the delegation, the federal minister acknowledged the longstanding cooperation between Pakistan and the Netherlands in the water sector. He highlighted the Netherlands' global experience and technical expertise in water management and underlined the need to further strengthen collaboration to address emerging challenges, including climate change impacts, flood management and sustainable use of water resources.

During their stay in Pakistan, the IHE Delft delegation will hold engagements with leading water-sector universities, disaster risk management institutions and other key stakeholders.