Pakistan is measured to be one of the most vulnerable to climate change, with severe impacts on agriculture and food security, keeping this the Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) profile for Punjab province has been launched.
CSA profile geared up in cooperation with Agriculture Department, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT).
Benish Fatima Sahi, Additional Secretary Agriculture (Task Force), Dr Anjum Ali, Director General Agriculture (Ext & AR), Syed Zafaryaab Haider, DGA (Water Management), Muhammad Rafiq Akhtar Director Agriculture Information, Punjab along with other officers of department and FAO representatives participated in this report launching ceremony.
Benish Fatima said that Pakistan is ranking as the 7th country most affected from natural disasters on the Global Climate Risk Index for 2017. The climate smart agriculture strategies can alleviate and get used to extreme weather events in Punjab, while at the same time put to increased agricultural productivity and food security in the province.
Farrukh Toirov, Deputy FAO Representative in Pakistan said: It is decisive to take pre-emptive measures to address challenges presented by climate change to the agriculture sector, food security and economic growth of Pakistan and its provinces. The CSA profile for Punjab is a step in that direction.
CSA initiatives sustainably increase productivity, filed pliability and reduce or remove greenhouse gases. The profile will be instrumental in assessment of provincial policy and institutional environment for CSA.
Climate smart agriculture identifies barriers and solutions for province and district-level policy design and implementation, and prominence financing opportunities for CSA investments at the provincial level.