KARACHI: A provincial conference on climate change and disaster resilience was held in Karachi on Monday, bringing together stakeholders from government departments, academia, civil society, media, UN agencies, and the development sector.
Organised under the ECHO-funded Building Institutional Capacity and Resilience Against Natural Disasters (BRAND) project, the event aimed to strengthen local climate resilience and disaster preparedness across Sindh, one of Pakistan’s most climate-vulnerable provinces.
Hosted by CESVI Pakistan in partnership with Welthungerhilfe (WHH), the Fast Rural Development Program (FRDP), and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Sindh, the conference provided a crucial platform to present findings, exchange best practices and chart forward-looking strategies to integrate climate-smart approaches in policy and practice.
A key highlight of the event was the official launch of a pioneering research study titled ‘Climate-Smart Agriculture as a Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy in Vulnerable Regions of Sindh, Pakistan: A Multi-District Comparative Analysis’. Developed by leading academic researchers headed by Dr Aziz Talpur, the study demonstrates how the adoption of climate-smart agricultural techniques can mitigate disaster risks, strengthen food security, and foster sustainable rural development in hazard-prone districts of Sindh.
During the technical sessions, the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s Chief Meteorologist Ameer Hyder presented an in-depth climate projection for Sindh, outlining emerging challenges such as increasing temperatures, worsening water scarcity and erratic rainfall patterns. These stressors, participants noted, are likely to severely impact agriculture, livelihoods, and public health in the province.
Country Director of Welthungerhilfe Aisha Jamshed highlighted the strategic importance of the gathering. “This conference marks an important milestone in our collective journey to integrate climate resilience into disaster risk reduction frameworks. The evidence shared today reaffirms that investing in climate-smart agriculture is not only a sustainability imperative but also a practical solution to protect lives, livelihoods, and ecosystems in Sindh,” she said.
Echoing this sentiment, Shayan Shah, director of operations at PDMA Sindh, reaffirmed the provincial government’s commitment to implementing data-backed climate strategies. “Sindh is on the frontlines of climate change, and strengthening local resilience is critical. The partnership between government institutions, NGOs and academia demonstrates how data-driven, community-rooted strategies can shape long-term policy and planning for a safer, more climate-resilient province,” he said.
Sessions led by the Sindh Environment, Climate Change, and Coastal Development Department underscored the disproportionate impacts of climate change on agriculture-dependent and marginalised communities. A panel discussion titled ‘Innovating for Resilience: Climate-Smart Solutions and DRR in Agriculture and Food Systems’ explored innovations in water conservation, soil health, resilient crop development, and agri-tech applications. Speakers called for scaling up pilot initiatives and increasing investment in climate-smart technologies across at-risk districts.