Ambassador Andreas Ferrarese and Sherry Rehman for boosting climate resilience
Abdullah Jan
Islamabad: Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman recently welcomed a delegation from Italy to the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination.
The delegation included representatives from the University of Milan and the Italian Association Ev-K2-CNR, with Ambassador Andreas Ferrarese leading the group.
The minister expressed her gratitude for the ongoing support of the Italian government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.
She acknowledged the remarkable 35-year presence of Ev-K2-CNR in the Pakistani mountains.
Ambassador Ferrarese expressed his gratitude for the enduring friendship and exceptional cooperation between the two nations.
He underscored the fact that Italy, too, is profoundly affected by the devastating consequences of climate change.
Ambassador Andreas Ferrarese emphasised on the significance of the Glaciers and Students Project to facilitate comprehensive glacier mapping, and provide an understanding of the glaciers in its entirety to effectively safeguard these invaluable resources.
The delegation from the University of Milan also presented a proposal for a project known as Water for Development (W4D).
This three-year initiative, scheduled to commence in September 2023, aims to support sustainable development and adaptation policies in mountainous regions.
The project will focus on enhancing the management of water resources, landscape preservation, agricultural systems, and environmental risk through diligent monitoring activities.
It will also emphasize the responsible and sustainable development of tourism, ensuring the safeguarding of environmental, agricultural, and cultural heritage, while also enhancing ecosystem services.
Moreover, the project seeks to strengthen the capacity of local governments in sustainable land management.
The implementation of this project will be carried out in close collaboration with the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan and other local partners.
Minister Sherry Rehman appreciated “the support by @ItalyinPak on the Glaciers & Students project, funded by @aics_it and executed by UNDP_Pakistan. Kudos to @evk2cnr for implementing this initiative”.
The project aims to achieve the following objectives:
1.Installation of 08 Automatic Weather Systems (AWS)
2.Inventory of Pakistan’s 7200 glaciers
3.Capacity building and training of students at Karakoram International Uni and Uni of Baltistan, as well as staff at GB EPA.
Notably, the project has fostered valuable linkages between the Uni of Milan and Cagliari. The findings and research resulting from this collaboration will greatly enhance our understanding of the rapid melting of our glaciers and how we can mitigate this issue. Looking forward to further enhancing ????-???? cooperation and collaboration in sustainable and climate resilient development.
