Islamabad: Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal has highlighted the urgent need to address the impacts of climate change, especially the severe weather changes and losses in agricultural output, notably in cotton crops. This came during his chairmanship of the 4th meeting of the Policy and Strategy Committee and the Oversight Board on Post-Flood Reconstruction Activities.
According to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the meeting’s agenda focused on reviewing decisions from the previous session, progress on ongoing projects under the 4RF initiative, updates on flood reconstruction, and coordination efforts with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), as well as the current status of financial pledges. Minister Iqbal remarked on the extensive damages from the 2022 floods, which inflicted a total loss of $30 billion on the nation, stressing the importance of international collaboration for recovery and development.
Further discussions at the meeting touched on the Integrated Flood Resilience and Adaptation Project, particularly noting concerns about delays in flood reconstruction efforts in Balochistan—a region that remains one of the most underdeveloped in the country. Minister Iqbal called for accelerated progress in the area.
The $400 million Integrated Flood Resilience and Adaptation Project is designed to assist approximately 35,100 homeowners with housing reconstruction grants, enabling them to rebuild their homes to resilience standards. Additionally, the project will provide livelihood grants to smallholder farmers to support livestock and promote climate-smart agricultural practices, along with enhancing other productive activities.
The project also aims to restore essential services by rehabilitating damaged community infrastructure, including water supply, irrigation, roads, and other community facilities, to bolster the affected regions’ recovery and resilience.