ISLAMABAD: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is strengthening farmer-led learning and climate-smart agricultural practices across Punjab and Sindh under a Green Climate Fund-supported initiative aimed at improving climate resilience and water management in the Indus Basin.
The programme, titled “Transforming the Indus Basin with Climate Resilient Agriculture and Water Management,” is co-financed by the provincial governments of Punjab and Sindh and focuses on helping farming communities respond to growing climate-related risks.
Under the initiative, 249 farmer facilitators from eight project districts are participating in an intensive 18-day training programme, with young people accounting for around 30 per cent of the participants.
The training uses a practical, learning-by-doing approach, combining field observations, hands-on activities and collective problem-solving to strengthen farmers’ capacity to adopt climate-resilient agricultural practices.
Following the training, the farmer facilitators will establish and operate Farmer Field Schools in their respective communities. These platforms will enable smallholder farmers to learn and test practical solutions related to efficient water use, soil and crop management, integrated pest management and climate adaptation.
The initiative aims to address the increasing challenges faced by farmers due to changing climate conditions, including water stress and risks to agricultural productivity.
FAO said the programme also represents a shift from conventional one-way agricultural extension services towards participatory and farmer-centred advisory support, allowing communities to identify, test and adopt solutions suited to their local farming and climatic conditions.
Through collaboration with provincial governments and other partners, FAO is working to strengthen agricultural extension systems while building the capacity of farming communities across the Indus Basin.
The initiative is expected to contribute to more efficient water management, improved farm-level decision-making and stronger resilience among smallholder farmers facing the impacts of climate change.
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