Islamabad, November 24, 2020— UNDP in Pakistan held the second Provincial Project Steering Committee (PPSC) for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to review the progress of the Scaling up of Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Risk Reduction in Northern Pakistan (GLOF-II) Project. Chaired by Nauman Afridi, Chief Economist, Planning and Development Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the agenda of the meeting was to review the progress of the Annual Work Plan (AWP) 2020, endorse the most vulnerable valleys under the project, and to review the AWP for 2021, in consultation with the Provincial PSC members.

Attendees of the meeting included Chief Foreign-Aid, Representatives of line Departments, PDMA, PMD, Agriculture, Forest and Environment, and GLOF-II Project members. Following the welcome remarks by the Chair, and Office In-charge GLOF II project, a progress update on the AWP 2020 was provided by relevant line department of KP. Since project activities started in KP after transfer of funds in June 2020, the aim of the PPSC is to review and discuss the progress achieved against each agreed activity. The implementation status and consolidated progress to date of the approved activities under AWP 2020 in notified valleys was presented along with challenges, and lesson learnt to set basis for the AWP 2021.

PPSC approved all the activities proposed for the year 2021  including the three valleys remaining for KP for National PSC to notify. Key activities in 2021 would include development of small-scale infrastructure, irrigation channel repairs, slope stabilization activities, community-based interventions by establishing safe-havens, safe access routes, and kitchen gardening. PPSC members also discussed the provincial planning for disaster risk reduction including mock drills to be conducted in the vulnerable valleys, particularly GLOFs, to be incorporated in the provincial contingency planning.

As a pre-requisite to the National PSC, all future activities under AWP 2021 must be endorsed at the provincial level. As of now, the five-year project, funded by the Green Climate Fund is extensively working in the northern areas of the country to strengthen the technical capacity of sub-national decision-makers to integrate climate change, and disaster risk management into medium- and long-term development planning, to help communities adapt to the impacts of climate change particularly GLOFs.

For additional information, please contact Ayesha Babar at ayesha.babar@undp.org  or +92 (51) 835 5650

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