The key facts

  • Shehbaz Sharif at COP31 in Antalya called for grant-based climate financing for vulnerable countries
  • He stated that water 'must never be a weapon' and that water-sharing agreements must be honoured
  • The statement came after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty amid the conflict over Kashmir

Speech at the summit in Antalya

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke at the COP31 climate summit in Antalya, Turkey, addressing climate adaptation financing and transboundary water resources. He said that national efforts cannot replace a 'just and equitable global response' when a country faces a climate catastrophe.

Demand for grant-based financing

According to Sharif, vulnerable countries need timely assistance and financing that does not increase their debt burden. He called for grant-based financing, including public-private partnerships, as well as a substantial increase in resilience and adaptation funds, which he called 'survival funds', especially for struggling economies.

Water and the Indus Treaty

Sharif stressed that water 'must never be turned into a weapon' and that no state should jeopardise the lives and livelihoods of people living downstream. 'Water-sharing agreements must be honoured,' he said. Context of the statement: last year India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and stopped sharing water data with Pakistan after an attack in the Indian part of Kashmir in which 26 people were killed.

Pakistan's climate losses

In recent years Pakistan has suffered several severe floods with human casualties and damage amounting to billions of dollars. Sharif recalled that the devastating 2022 floods submerged a third of the country's territory and affected 33 million people — using this to justify his demand for affordable climate financing.