Climate Change Valuing Water VOW Water Crisis

Punjab govt, FAO sign accord on Indus Basin protection

Fawad Khan 17/05/2023

4 1 minute read

LAHORE: The Punjab government and Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) signed a unilateral trust fund agreement for the project for ‘transforming Indus basin into climate resilient agriculture and water management’ at Planning and Development Department on Tuesday.

According to the agreement document made available to the Business Recorder, the total cost of the project is US $47.69 million which will be spent to achieve objective of the project for which US $ 34.99 million will be spent on Green Climate Smart Grant whereas the Punjab govt will provide US $ 8.0 million for co-financing for project implementation.

The project will enhance adoptive capacity of farming community through reduced exposure to on-farm climate threats along with strengthening regulatory system.

The agreement was signed by Iftikhar Ali Sahoo, Secretary Agriculture from Government of Punjab, and Florence Rolle, FAO Representative in Pakistan from Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Florence Rolle speaking on the occasion said this project aims to increase resilience to climate change among the most vulnerable farming community in the Indus Basin and to strengthen public/private sector capacity for climate smart agriculture development.

Ali Sarfraz, Chairman P&D Department, said the project will help over 1.3 million people in the targeted districts of South Punjab including D.G Khan, Khanewal, Lodhran, Multan and Muzaffargarh to benefit for adoption and use of climate smart resilient agriculture and on-farm management practices.

He further said the project will strengthen institutional and regulatory system of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Management.

Iftikhar Ali Sahoo said the Punjab govt is co-financing US $ 8 million to be transferred to FAO through Unilateral Agreement Fund to help vulnerable farming community.

He said the Agriculture Department will extend full support for implementation of the project for climate smart & irrigated agriculture development in the province.

Ali Sarfraz, Chairman Planning & Development Department Punjab, Emelda Berejena, Technical Advisor GCF Project, along with members of FAO delegation, Member Planning Agriculture Javaid Aslam, Chief Engineer Irrigation.

Habib Ullah Bodla, Director General Agriculture Water Management, Malik Muhammad Akram Director Agricultural Information, Muhammad Rafiq Akhtar and Chief, Planning & Evaluation Cell Rana Mehmood were also present.