Germany To Support Climate Adaptation In Pakistan

Realising increasing vulnerability of Pakistan to climate change, the German Government has been supporting the Government of Pakistan in the field of climate change adaptation under the Pakistan-German Climate and Energy Partnership (PGCEP) through various projects, including the KfW (German Development Bank) Billion Tree Afforestation Support Project (BTASP) and the GiZ Strengthening Adaptation and Resilience Project

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Nov, 2023) Realising increasing vulnerability of Pakistan to climate change, the German Government has been supporting the Government of Pakistan in the field of climate change adaptation under the Pakistan-German Climate and Energy Partnership (PGCEP) through various projects, including the KfW (German Development Bank) Billion Tree Afforestation Support Project (BTASP) and the GiZ Strengthening Adaptation and Resilience Project.

To showcase what work is currently being carried out on the ground in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Pakistan-German Climate and Energy Partnership hosted an event held in Pakistan Forest Institute Peshawar, aligned with the visit of a high-level delegation from the German Ministry of Economic Development and Cooperation (BMZ), KfW German Development Bank and GIZ. Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah Additional Chief Secretary, P&D Department KP, Syed Nazar Hussain Shah, Secretary Climate Change Forestry Environment & Wildlife Department, Helmut Fischer, Head of Division Afghanistan, Pakistan German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, Ali Asghar, Chief Economist P&D Department KP, Junaid Dayar Project Director Billion Tree Afforestation Support Project KP Forest Department, and Asif Rafique Minister agriculture, Livestock, Food & Environment addressed to the Climate Adaptation Forum, says a press release.

While talking to the forum, Helmut Fischer said the Germany was supporting Pakistan in developing and implementing national climate targets, expanding the use of renewable energies, analyzing climate risks, developing strategies for adapting to climate change, gaining access to international climate financing and in climate change adaptation.

He said, in 2021, Pakistan and Germany agreed on a climate and energy partnership. He said, it includes the commitment to a continuous political dialogue, the strengthening of bilateral development cooperation and the involvement of the private sector, scientific institutions and civil society organizations in the sense of a broad-based dialogue on climate change.

He said, with its climate partnerships, the BMZ supports selected partner countries in achieving their climate goals in a socially just manner. These partnerships combine climate policy with economic development and poverty reduction.

While talking to the forum Junaid Dayar Project Director, 10BTTP said, the event brought together Government partners, project implementing partners and international experts by providing a platform for a mutually beneficial exchange on the topic of climate change adaptation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said, the livelihoods of the poor population in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are threatened by the high rate of deforestation in recent decades, which contributes to climate change. He said, that in response to the "Bonn Challenge", the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa launched the "Billion Tree Afforestation Program" (BTAP) in 2014. In 2018, the Prime Minister of Pakistan announced a five-year nationwide (follow-up) program, the 10 Billion Trees Tsunami Programme (TBTTP), which has now been renamed to “Green Pakistan".

He said KfW is financing this government initiative through the Billion Tree Afforestation Support Project (BTASP) on behalf of the German government.

He said the project aims to ensure that the restored forest landscapes of the TBTTP are managed in a participatory and sustainable manner, thereby improving the livelihoods of the people in the project areas. He said, to this end, local people are actively involved in the planning and management of the forest areas.

Khadija Bano Advisor, SAR Project GIZ Pakistan said, the Strengthening Climate Adaptation and Resilience- SAR project covers all aspects of climate risk management, from preparing climate risk assessments and profiles, improving planning and budgeting capacities to developing innovative financial instruments and ensuring better access to international climate finance.

She said SAR is mainly active at the provincial level (P&D Departments KP and Punjab), but also works closely with the MoCC and other federal institutions such as the Planning Commission.

She said, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the project recently set up a designated "Climate Change Cell" in the P&D Department and members of the provincial government took part in intensive training sessions on climate finance.

She said, SAR works with local implementation partners, such as Lasoona, to mainstream climate change into various aspects of society and raise awareness of the local population.

Syed Nazar Hussain Shah, Secretary Climate Change KP also presented the Forest Department gift hampers amongst the delegation from the German Government and other participants of the forum.