ISLAMABAD, Nov 23 (APP): Caretaker Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Muhammad Sami Saeed on Thursday said the government remained dedicated to addressing the challenges of climate change as key interventions were being taken under the umbrella of Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).

He made these remarks while addressing the 26th Sustainable Development Conference (SDC) organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here, a news release said.

The minister addressed the thematic session titled, “Impact of Climate Change on Food & Nutrition Security in Pakistan, the session was held in collaboration with World Food Program (WFP) and SDPI.

The panelists of the session included Country Director World Food Program (WFP)Ms Coco Ushiyama, Nutrition Division WFP Ms Lynnda Kiess, Dr Friederike Greb, Dr Irfan Ullah from Nutrition International Pakistan, Dr Aneela Afzal from PMAS-AAU, Rawalpindi, Muhammad Daniyal Masood from NUST.

The event was attended by a larger number of people from different walks of life including students and civil society activists.

“The government is well aware of the climate crisis and several interventions are being undertaken to address the issue under the umbrella of SFIC as agriculture is one of the key areas of this council,” the minister said while emphasizing the adoption of strategies highlighted by the experts to address this crisis.

Stressing the need to enhance agricultural practices and resilience to ensure food supply in Pakistan, he said Pakistan aimed for increased productivity through international best practices and welcomed foreign investment in the corporate agriculture sector.

The SIFC was established earlier this year to attract foreign and local investments while targeting five key areas which include Agriculture, Defense Production, Mining/Minerals, Information Technology and Telecommunication and Energy.

It is noted that Pakistan has vast potential for foreign investment in the fields of agriculture as Pakistan is a semi-industrialized economy with a well-integrated agricultural sector that contributes 22.9 per cent to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and creates 37.4 percent of jobs, ensures food security and provides raw materials for industry.

Last year, Sami Saeed said Pakistan faced unprecedented devastation due to torrential rains and flooding in most parts of the country, which affected 33 million people and caused economic losses worth $30 billion. As a result, the government prepared the 4RF framework, he added.

The 4FR document suggested effective coordination and participation arrangements among the federal and provincial governments, development partners, donors, international and national NGOs, and academic and private sectors.

Furthermore, he said a number of projects were being executed under the framework to make Pakistan climate resilient.

The minister highlighted the government’s efforts in monitoring food prices through various committees and surveys to ensure fair pricing and address inflation.

While highlighting the performance of the National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC) which regularly reviewed the prices of essential commodities across the country, the minister said this committee had a positive role in controlling the prices of essential commodities.

Besides, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics PBS also established an App to monitor the prices of essential commodities across the country which is also an effective tool.

Acknowledging the challenges in education, especially the number of out-of-school children, the minister outlined various interventions under federal and provincial programmes to address this critical issue. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to effective policy implementation and coordination across all levels for sustainable development in Pakistan.