XIZANG, China, July 19, 2026: Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Malik has called for stronger regional cooperation to protect glaciers and mountain ecosystems, warning that climate change is already causing severe human and economic losses in Pakistan.
Addressing the 5th China Xizang Trans-Himalaya Forum for International Cooperation during his visit to the Xizang Autonomous Region of China, the minister said the forum brought together policymakers, experts and stakeholders to discuss sustainable development, ecological conservation and shared challenges facing mountain regions.
Dr Malik said the gathering reflected the shared cultural heritage, diversity, friendship, tourism and civilizations of the region, while also reaffirming a common responsibility to protect humanity and nature. He thanked the Government of China for hosting the forum and acknowledged the long-standing friendship between Pakistan and China, describing China as a trusted partner that has stood by Pakistan in both prosperous and difficult times.
The minister underlined the close geographical and ecological linkages between Pakistan and China through the Himalayan and Trans-Himalayan mountain systems. He noted that Pakistan is home to around 13,500 glaciers, making it one of the countries most exposed to the consequences of glacial melt and climate change.
He cautioned that rising greenhouse gas emissions and increasing global temperatures were accelerating glacier melt, leading to devastating floods followed by prolonged droughts. Over the past 15 years, he said, nearly 6,000 people had died in flood-related disasters in Pakistan, while about 20,000 had been injured or disabled.
Dr Malik further said that around 40 million people had been displaced, resulting in an estimated 1.8 billion lost school days, which showed the deep human and economic impact of climate change.
He stressed that glaciers were not only environmental assets but also the foundation of civilizations and regional prosperity. Protecting these fragile ecosystems, he said, required collective action, scientific cooperation and responsible stewardship instead of competition over natural resources.
Referring to his visit to villages in the Xizang Autonomous Region, Dr Malik praised China’s approach of linking environmental conservation with economic development. He said the region offered an important model where development, prosperity and ecological protection complemented each other rather than standing in contradiction, providing useful lessons for other mountainous areas.
Calling for enhanced regional collaboration, the minister said that although countries were individually conducting research on glaciers and climate change, there was still a major gap in coordinated transboundary scientific cooperation. He said countries sharing the Himalayan ecosystem must jointly produce knowledge and solutions to address common environmental challenges.
To advance regional cooperation, Dr Malik proposed three joint initiatives. The first was the establishment of a Virtual Green University, bringing together universities, researchers, scholars and students from across the region for joint research on glaciers, climate change, ecology, economics and sustainable development. He said such a platform could also generate knowledge useful for addressing future challenges in other fragile ecosystems, including the Arctic.
The second proposal, called Green Fields, seeks to create a regional platform connecting young entrepreneurs with financial support and investment opportunities to develop innovative climate solutions in renewable energy, battery technologies, climate-resilient infrastructure, safe drinking water and other green technologies.
The minister also proposed the creation of a Green Cloud, an open platform through which publicly funded scientific research and intellectual property produced by universities could be made freely available to innovators, researchers and entrepreneurs.
Concluding his address, Dr Malik urged participating countries to work together to protect glaciers, preserve shared ecosystems and safeguard future generations. He said climate action demanded shared responsibility, scientific cooperation and a common commitment to ensuring that development and environmental protection move forward together.
