US announces $4.5m agriculture programme for Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The United States announced a $4.5 million programme to strengthen fertilizer efficiency and effectiveness for Pakistani farmers from the US Department of Agriculture during the Pakistan-US Climate and Environment Working Group (CEWG) dialogue held in Islamabad.

Besides, the US has also expressed support for Pakistan’s “Living Indus” initiative to restore the ecological health of the Indus River Basin in Pakistan. Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman and the US Department of State’s Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Monica Medina led their respective delegations.

The two governments reiterated to tackle the climate crisis through cooperation on climate change mitigation and adaptation. A joint statement issued after the conclusion of the Pakistan-US Climate and Environment Working Group (CEWG) dialogue said the officials and experts from both countries engaged on climate and environment issues, including climate change, energy transition, water management, climate-smart agriculture, air quality, biodiversity and waste management including plastics recycling.

The delegations discussed the impacts of the devastating floods in Pakistan in 2022, and emphasized the importance of building resilience to the impacts of climate change. Both governments resolved to continue deepening their bilateral partnership through the Pakistan-US “Green Alliance” framework. The “Green Alliance” will help Pakistan and the United States jointly face the climate, environmental, and economic needs of the present and future, especially through partnerships on agriculture, water, and clean energy.

Pakistan and the US committed to advancing future cooperation in agriculture, water, and energy transition through the Pakistan-US “Green Alliance” framework. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced new activities in Pakistan to promote climate-smart agriculture and climate finance.

The US Army Corps of Engineers will start sharing weather data on glacial melt with the Ministry of Climate Change and other local stakeholders to strengthen Pakistan’s flood forecasting and disaster response capabilities. The United States and Pakistan also pledged to collaborate on a successful year as the 2023 co-chairs of the Green Climate Fund Board.