“Beyond Crisis Response: Cross-Sectoral Approaches for Disaster Risk Reduction, Food Security and Resilient Recovery” – GORD Pavilion, Blue Zone, 14th November 2025

COMSATS, in collaboration with the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Morocco; the Food Security and Agriculture Centre of Excellence (FACE), Pakistan; Welthungerhilfe (WHH)–Pakistan; the Climate Reality Project, Indonesia; and the Gulf Organization for Research and Development (GORD), convened two sessions of high-level Multi-Stakeholder Dialogues on the theme “Beyond Crisis Response: Cross-Sectoral Approaches for Disaster Risk Reduction, Food Security and Resilient Recovery”. The sessions, held at both the GORD Pavilion and the Pakistan Pavilion in the Blue Zone, brought together senior policymakers, international experts, and institutional leaders to deliberate on prevailing disaster governance frameworks and articulate pathways for transitioning from reactive humanitarian intervention to anticipatory, integrated, and community-anchored resilience architectures across the Global South.

In his opening address, Ambassador Dr. Mohammad Nafees Zakaria, Executive Director COMSATS, highlighted the asymmetrical climate burden confronting low-emitting developing countries faced with recurrent floods, glacial hazards, drought cycles, and environmental degradation. He emphasized that resilience can no longer be conceptualized as an emergency add-on but must be embedded into national development planning through nature-based solutions, predictive analytics, inclusive governance, and robust social protection systems that safeguard livelihoods, food security, education, and cultural continuity. Ambassador Zakaria also underscored the transformative role of science, technology, and innovation, ranging from precision agriculture and AI-enabled climate modelling to drought-resistant crops and blockchain-secured food supply chains, and called for strengthened partnerships and urgent operationalization of the COP27 Loss and Damage Fund.

Speaking on behalf of ICESCO, Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of Partnerships and International Cooperation, highlighted the necessity of safeguarding human development indicators, including learning continuity, cultural assets, and community identity, within disaster recovery frameworks. Drawing on ICESCO’s mandate in science, education, and culture, Mr. Karimov stressed that systemic resilience requires embedding DRR into educational curricula, promoting digital literacy for disaster response, and investing in community-centered innovation ecosystems that empower youth and local institutions.

Moderating the session, Dr. Fahman Fathurrahman, Expert in the Science and Environment Sector at ICESCO, underscored the urgent need for policy convergence across environment, agriculture, finance, education, and social development portfolios in order to establish coherent and scalable frameworks for resilient recovery. Through structured discussion, he guided participants toward recognizing that disaster risk reduction must be intrinsically linked with food system transformation, livelihood diversification, and climate-smart territorial development.

From a humanitarian-development nexus standpoint, Ms. Aisha Jamshed, Country Director, Welthungerhilfe (WHH), emphasized the need to shift resilience programming from episodic food aid toward long-term livelihood rehabilitation particularly in communities experiencing prolong climatic shocks that erode development gains. She highlighted the importance of aligning international NGO interventions with national adaptation priorities to avoid fragmented or donor-driven implementation. Drawing from multi-country programmes, she stressed the need for equitable North–South cooperation, locally led adaptation models, and integrated community-based disaster management systems rooted in inclusive early-warning dissemination, agricultural diversification, and women’s leadership.

Mr. Sohail Malik of the Climate Resource Coordination Centre (CRCC), Pakistan, elaborated on operationalizing climate intelligence at subnational levels. He explained how harmonized climate datasets, national early-warning infrastructures, and seasonal forecasting can be translated into actionable resilience plans for municipalities and farming communities. He emphasized that bridging the gap between national climate intelligence and local implementation necessitates shared digital data platforms, structured coordination mechanisms, and adaptive governance frameworks that coherently integrate climate-smart agriculture, water resource management, and disaster risk reduction policies. Citing examples from Pakistan, he illustrated how targeted resource allocation informed by risk mapping strengthens local preparedness and protects livelihoods.

Representing the Climate Reality Project, Indonesia, Ms. Arifah Handayani emphasized participatory and locally driven approaches to resilience. She highlighted how communities, local governments, and other stakeholders collaborate to enhance disaster preparedness and strengthen food system resilience. Drawing on practical examples, she showcased successful cross-sector partnerships where government agencies, NGOs, private sector actors, and communities jointly implemented recovery strategies that reduce long-term disaster and climate risks.

Offering private-sector insights, Mr. Hamid Majid from FACE–FFC, Pakistan, discussed strategies for climate-proofing agricultural value chains. He outlined practical and cost-sensitive interventions such as energy-efficient production processes, renewable energy integration, water-smart irrigation technologies, and targeted support mechanisms for smallholder farmers. He noted that well-designed public–private partnership models have the potential to concurrently advance corporate sustainability commitments, reinforce national climate-adaptation priorities, and strengthen community-level resilience, particularly in regions confronting interlinked food, water, and energy stresses.

From a youth and community empowerment perspective, Ms. Joselyn Mirashi, Climate Advocate and Co-Founder of the Eco Pulse Network (Tanzania), highlighted the central role of young people in catalyzing grassroots resilience initiatives. She shared examples from East Africa demonstrating how youth-led networks strengthen early-warning literacy, promote diversified and climate-smart livelihoods, and enhance community leadership for disaster preparedness and recovery. She emphasized that empowering youth constituencies amplifies local voices in national adaptation planning processes and accelerates the diffusion of low-cost, context-relevant resilience solutions.

Collectively, the panelists affirmed that building resilient recovery systems requires a holistic architecture that links national policy frameworks with localized implementation, transparent and accountable financing mechanisms, inclusive technological solutions, and robust public–private–civil society partnerships. They underscored that resilience can be sustained only through multi-sectoral governance, nature-based and culturally grounded interventions, and strategic long-term investment in community capabilities. The dialogues reinforced the pressing need for strengthened scientific cooperation, equitable climate finance, and enhanced South–South and Triangular collaboration to operationalize disaster risk reduction and secure food systems amid escalating climate uncertainties.