SAR Project Launched To Enhance Pakistan’s Climate Adaptation, Resilience

News Desk

Islamabad: The German Cooperation and the Federal Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) have launched the Strengthening Climate Adaptation and Resilience (SAR) Project in Pakistan in an effort to improve the nation’s capacity to deal with the effects of climate change, particularly in vulnerable communities and sectors like health, agriculture, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).

In order to ensure that the project’s benefits are fairly spread among all populations, including women, youth and other marginalised groups, the SAR Project prioritises gender-inclusive and socially inclusive approaches.

The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaftfür Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

💡At the provincial level, the project will support #KP & #Punjab to strengthen #ClimateResilience in key sectors such as health, agriculture & #WASH. On behalf of @BMZ_Bund, the project is implemented by @GIZPakistan in partnership with @ClimateChangePK & other govt. partners. pic.twitter.com/j1rL4K1iGJ

— GIZ Pakistan (@GIZPakistan) March 1, 2023

During the launch, MoCC Additional Secretary Syed Mujtaba Hussain praised the German government’s cooperation and emphasised how crucial it will be for the SAR project to bring together all federal and provincial stakeholders. He emphasised the significance of sustainable development for Pakistan’s future and urged all stakeholders to collaborate in order to ensure the project’s success.

The SAR project would help us determine Pakistan’s climate change vulnerability and give us the tools we need to deal with its effects. Additionally, SAR will assist us in bringing the insurance industry on board via the Global Risk Modelling Alliance (GRMA), Syed Mujtaba added.

German Embassy Head of Development Cooperation Dr Sebastian Paust said, “Pakistan’s Nationally Determined Contributions outline a number of priority areas, such as strengthening early warning systems for extreme weather events, developing climate-resilient infrastructure, and improving water management and irrigation practices. Germany will support these strategic priorities towards the achievement of Pakistan’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) through the SAR project.”

🔔👏#OfficialSigning📄🖋️. The project will support the entire planning cycle of adaptation measures: from preparing climate risk assessments to piloting financing approaches & instruments, as well as upscaling local measures through international #ClimateFinance. @GermanyinPAK pic.twitter.com/nfRt9EthkV

— GIZ Pakistan (@GIZPakistan) March 1, 2023

Participants talked on how important climate adaptation and resilience are to reducing the effects of climate change on infrastructure, ecosystems, and vulnerable communities. The speakers underlined that partnerships and cooperation between the government, civil society, and corporate sector are essential to the project’s success.

The launch of this Project marks a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to address the challenges of climate change. With the support of its partners, Pakistan is taking a bold step towards building resilience and adapting to the impacts of climate change, which will contribute to a more sustainable and resilient future for all.