LAHORE: The first meeting of the Agriculture, Climate and Water (ACWA) Punjab Consortium was held under the chairmanship of Ms. Nadia Shafiq, Member Environment & Climate Change, Planning and Development Board Punjab, marking an important step towards strengthening the use of climate and water information for evidence-based decision-making in the province.
The ACWA Consortium aims to institutionalize coordination among key government institutions and technical partners while promoting data-driven planning for climate-resilient agriculture, water security and sustainable resource management.
At the centre of the initiative is the ACWA Portal, which brings climate, agriculture and water-related information together on a single platform. The portal is designed to help policymakers and decision-makers access reliable data for planning, policy formulation, advisories and resource management.
The platform incorporates data generated through FAO-supported monitoring systems, including automatic weather stations, Eddy Covariance towers, canal-flow sensors and groundwater-monitoring sensors. Data uploaded by consortium members and other relevant stakeholders is also integrated into the system.
The consortium brings together major provincial institutions, including the Planning and Development Board, Agriculture Department, Irrigation Department, Environment Protection and Climate Change Department and Punjab Information Technology Board, with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) serving as a technical partner.
The initiative seeks to improve institutional coordination and facilitate systematic data sharing among departments working on climate, agriculture and water management.
Through stronger collaboration and institutional ownership of climate and water information, the ACWA Consortium is expected to support better agricultural planning, improved water management and climate adaptation, particularly for farming communities facing increasing climate-related risks.
The initiative represents a move towards more integrated and evidence-based management of Punjab’s agricultural and water resources, helping policymakers respond more effectively to changing climate conditions and emerging water-security challenges.
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