Context:
According to the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index 2024, Pakistan is one of the countries most affected by climate change. Impacts such as droughts, floods and heat waves are affecting agricultural productivity and threatening the livelihoods of the rural population.
Agriculture provides a livelihood for almost half of the population in Punjab, which is why declining yields, soil degradation and rising costs are exacerbating poverty and food insecurity. Smallholder farmers and women are particularly affected due to limited land rights, limited access to resources and a lack of financing options. Nature-based solutions (NbS) – such as agroforestry – can increase the climate resilience and sustainability of agriculture, but are rarely used in Pakistan. Although NbS are anchored in national strategies, concrete implementation and financing mechanisms are largely lacking.
Objective:
To improve the implementation and financing conditions for nature-based solutions in the agricultural sector in the Pakistani province of Punjab.
Approach:
The project promotes knowledge, skills and financing structures for applying nature-based solutions in agriculture. It does this as follows:
- It trains specialists and managers from public authorities and partner organisations in the ecological, social and economic benefits of NbS.
- In cooperation with provincial authorities, it identifies suitable value chains and pilot measures to test climate-smart practices such as agroforestry and composting together with smallholder farms.
- It trains agricultural and microfinance institutions to develop adapted financial products.
In this way, the project creates the conditions for broader application and financing of NbS and contributes to climate-resilient, environmentally friendly agriculture in Punjab.