Aga Khan Foundation, Denmark ink agreement to mitigate climate risks

With Pakistan being one of the most vulnerable countries facing the brunt of climate change, the Aga Khan Foundation and the Denmark embassy on Friday inked an agreement for a project titled Sindh Coastal Resilience Integrated Programme (SCRIP) — aimed at improving coastal communities' resilience to climate change and mitigate climate risks.

The initiative will focus on addressing climate vulnerability in coastal districts where the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN)'s existing presence on the ground and strong capacity can be leveraged.

Adopting a human-centric approach, coupled with close partnerships with government and local civil society actors and knowledge institutions, the project will deploy cost-effective and locally relevant solutions to improve resilience to climate change and enhance fragile ecosystems that are critical to people’s lives and sustainable development.

Furthermore, the SCRIP will build on the AFK's global Indian Ocean Coastal Regeneration Initiative designed as a response to the converging crises of climate change, deforestation and biodiversity loss that threaten the earth's capacity to recuperate and regenerate.

The agreement was signed between AKF CEO Akhtar Iqbal and Denmark's Ambassador Jakob Linulf, while the project will be implemented by the AKDN agencies including the the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat, Pakistan (AKAHP) and the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP).

Speaking on the occasion, the Danish envoy said: "The [SCRIP] project aims to respond to these challenges, focusing on tackling climate vulnerability in coastal districts along the Arabian Sea coast."

"The province of Sindh has a diverse and unique climate profile, ranging from drought-prone interior districts, desert landscapes, hills, to long coastal areas spreading across 330 kilometres [...] with such rich and fragile ecosystems, the impacts of climate change are as varied – from droughts and heatwaves impacting agricultural production to severe flooding leading to fragile socio-economic conditions and livelihoods," he remarked.

Meanwhile, underscoring the AFK's commitment to doing its part for responsible stewardship of the environment, CEO Iqbal underscored the first-hand experience of communities regarding the impact of climate change and environmental degradation.

Reflecting on the initiative, he said that the programme encompasses a science-based ecosystem approach and builds on the premise that in order to address climate change and ensure environmental sustainability, it is essential to engage communities and by doing so, improve the overall quality of life and economic opportunities.