KARACHI, Nov 21 (APP): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah met with a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) delegation, led by Director of Land and Water Division Mr. Lifeng Li at CM House here Friday, to review progress on key agriculture and climate-resilience initiatives in the province.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Planning and Development (P&D) and Irrigation Jam Khan Shoro, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Chairman P&D Najam Shah, Secretary to CM Raheem Shaikh, Secretary Agriculture Zaman Narejo and Secretary Irrigation Zarif Khero and others. The FAO officials, including Asia Water Officer Waleed Hassan Abouel, Senior Water and Land Officer Dr Robina Wahaj, FAO Pakistan In-Charge James Robert Okoth, and Country Programme Head Amina Bajwa.
Discussions focused on strengthening food security and adaptive capacity across Sindh through ongoing projects.
The CM and the FAO delegation reviewed the status of major projects supported by international partners:
Growth for Rural Advancement and Sustainable Progress (GRASP), a €48 million EU-funded project implemented in 11 districts (including Sujawal, Thatta, Mirpurkhas, and Hyderabad). Its goal is to reduce poverty by strengthening MSMEs and agribusinesses in the horticulture and livestock value chains, improving rural livelihoods.
Transforming the Indus Basin with Climate-Resilient Agriculture and Water Management, this $47.69 million project, covering Umerkot, Badin, and Sanghar, is designed to transition Indus Basin agriculture toward a data-driven, climate-adapted model, benefiting over 200,000 households.
Strengthening Resilience of Agro-Pastoralists in Sindh, a $3.5 million project in Tharparkar and Umerkot focused on securing livelihoods and boosting the resilience of communities impacted by various shocks, including drought and floods.
Indus Basin Project: Focused Technical Assistance.
The FAO delegation particularly discussed continued technical assistance for the Transforming the Indus Basin project, a $19.59 million initiative co-funded by the Green Climate Fund ($14.9 million) and the Government of Sindh ($4.69 million). This project, running from 2020-21 to 2025-26 in Badin, Sanghar, and Umerkot, focuses on three main components as follows:
Enhancing Information Services, developing advanced tools like a Water Accounting System and an ET-based Water Management System, and improving access to climate, water, and agriculture data via a national portal.
Building On-Farm Climate Resilience. Training farmers and extension workers, promoting climate-resilient practices, and enhancing capacity for technology adoption.
Creating an Enabling Environment, launching large-scale awareness campaigns targeting 6.25 million people, and providing policy support to federal and provincial governments.
The Chief Minister praised FAO’s technical support in strengthening Sindh’s resilience to climate change and agricultural productivity, welcoming future collaboration in water management, land monitoring, and adaptive farming. Mr Lifeng Li reaffirmed FAO’s commitment to supporting Sindh’s agricultural modernisation through data-driven approaches and capacity building.
To ensure the comprehensive finalisation of all components, both sides agreed to extend the completion timeline for the Transforming the Indus Basin project by one year.
The meeting concluded with a commitment to deepen collaboration for climate-smart agriculture and sustainability in the province.