KARACHI: IUCN Pakistan said on Thursday that it has launched the Climate Change Gender Action Plan in Gilgit Baltistan today as part of its commitment to build gender responsive readiness, capacities and Innovative approaches.
According to a IUCN statement issued from Karachi, the launch ceremony was held at the conference hall of the Chief Secretary’s office; while the guest list includes senior government officials, members of civil society, local community based organizations, academia and media. The event opened with welcome remarks from Mr. Mahmood Akhtar Cheema, Country Representative, IUCN Pakistan who provided an overview of IUCN Pakistan’s work in Gilgit Baltistan and its key role in introduction of sustainable trophy hunting initiative which is still continued by the local communities and the wild life department. Gilgit Baltistan’s conservation strategy and the State of Environment Report was also developed by IUCN in Past and it is currently involved in a major biodiversity related initiative under which over 10,000 youth were involved in research and field activities.
Ms. Fauzia Bilqis Malik, Programme Coordinator, IUCN Pakistan during her presentation apprised the audience that “the ccGAP is developed around the six priority sectors including; agriculture and food security, forest and biodiversity, disaster risk reduction, water and sanitation, integrated coastal management and mitigation: energy and transport,” Primarily a multi-stakeholder, cross-sector capacity building process was led by Ministry of Climate Change and IUCN to develop national capacities and focal groups and a cross-sector national action plan, fostering innovative project design to strengthen national and provincial climate change adaptation, mitigation and resilience through gender-responsive strategies and activities, she added”. She also mentioned that the action plan will further lead towards a gender-responsive project pipeline of Pakistan.
The presentation was followed by a Questions and Answers session which was facilitated by Dr. Ghulam Rasul, Head of Climate Change Programme, IUCN Pakistan. Speaking on the occasion, Aziz Ahmed Jamali, Additional Chief Secretary/ Secretary Planning and Development Department, Government of Gilgit Baltistan, said that “This is a great achievement of IUCN and Government of Pakistan in multiple ways, particularly because it is the first ever Climate Change Gender Action Plan of Pakistan lead by Ministry of Climate Change and also because it is the first such initiative by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to ensure gender mainstreaming in the upcoming GCF funded projects”.
Mr. Faisal Ahsan Pirzada, Secretary Forests, Wildlife and Environment added that the process has engaged representatives and practitioners from all the six priority sectors and across the country which is one of a kind provincial initiative in Pakistan hence this step is an example for the rest of the world. He appreciated IUCN’s significant role in conservation initiatives at Gilgit Baltistan.