Strengthening climate services to support agricultural advisories and anticipatory action in Pakistan

About the consultation

The Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), and International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) are working together to develop innovative approaches that utilise weather outlooks and early warning systems to help vulnerable communities across Pakistan prepare for climate-related crises.

ICIMOD’s SERVIR Hindu Kush Himalaya (SERVIR-HKH) initiative is working on developing information services using Earth observation and climate modelling technology.

We are accordingly organising an expert consultation to share new knowledge on weather monitoring and forecasting platforms and identify approaches for the effective utilisation of climate information in agricultural advisories and anticipatory action.

Objectives

• Share knowledge on recent innovations in Earth observation data-supported weather forecasting models and dissemination platforms
• Share information on current public sector services related to climate risk preparedness and deliberate on collaborative mechanisms for improving their effectiveness

Expected participants

This consultation will include representatives from national and provincial disaster management agencies, international development agencies, humanitarian aid agencies, and sectoral subject specialists in water, agriculture, climate services, and climate finance.

Background

Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable countries to the impacts of climate change. The agricultural sector is particularly susceptible to extreme weather events, with far-reaching negative consequences beyond physical damage. Additionally, production losses can directly impact manufacturing industries, such as agro-processing, that depend on agricultural commodities and raw materials.

During the 2022 Pakistan floods, farming communities lost their lives and livelihoods as floods wiped out their crops and livestock. Large populations are still struggling to rehabilitate their farmlands. The estimated economic loss to Pakistan from these catastrophic floods is around USD 30 billion, pushing the country’s development 20 years behind.

Early warning systems are widely regarded as an effective adaptive measure to climate change. They increase resilience to natural disasters and climate-related risks and offer simultaneous support towards achieving the SDGs. If effectively implemented, such systems save lives, livelihoods, land, and infrastructure and support long-term sustainability. Early warning systems are an effective and dignified way to prevent extreme weather events from creating a humanitarian crisis – especially for the most vulnerable and remote communities who bear the brunt.

In response to the growing climate-related challenges, there are emerging needs to modernise monitoring, forecasting, and information dissemination systems to improve climate risk preparedness in agriculture.

Tentative agenda

All time stamps are in Pakistan Standard Time (PKT).

ICIMOD’s Strategic Group on Reducing Climate and Environmental Risks

Reducing climate and environmental risks helps address the increasing risk of natural hazards in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region – many of which are transboundary. Risks include rapidly worsening air quality, floods, droughts, landslides, and permafrost thaw. This strategic group builds directly on our comparative advantage as a regional body and the depth of our experience in this area. Our work will address the prevention of both rapid and slow onset disasters and pollution and build preparedness and response to risks through monitoring, early warning systems, and better infrastructure.

ICIMOD’s Action Area on Managing Cryosphere and Water Risks

This action area – under the strategic group described above – aims to address the prevention of both rapid and slow onset disasters and preparedness and response to risks – through monitoring, early warning systems, and better infrastructure. In this action area, we will build on our experience and increasingly bring in newer ideas, such as digital technologies, citizen science, the use of social media for knowledge sharing on risks and disasters, policy and institutional innovations, as well as deepening our engagement and coordination with institutions and other partners from ICIMOD’s regional member countries (RMCs).

About SERVIR

A joint initiative of NASA, USAID, and leading geospatial organisations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, SERVIR partners with countries in these regions to address critical challenges in climate change, food security, water and related disasters, land use, and air quality. Using satellite data and geospatial technology, SERVIR co-develops innovative solutions through a network of regional hubs to improve resilience and sustainable resource management at local, national, and regional scales.

SERVIR Hindu Kush Himalaya

ICIMOD implements the SERVIR Hindu Kush Himalaya (SERVIR-HKH) Initiative – one of five regional hubs of the SERVIR network – in its regional member countries, prioritising activities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. For more information on SERVIR-HKH, please visit servir.icimod.org or write to servirhkh@icimod.org.