Islamabad: Italy has supported numerous development projects in Pakistan for nearly three decades, Ambassador Marilina Armellini stated during a press conference in Islamabad, underscoring the historic ties between the two nations. The event brought together key stakeholders, including Francesco Zatta from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, Samuel Rizk from UNDP Pakistan, and experts from EvK2CNR, with a focus on climate change initiatives.
Addressing the event, Romina Khurshid Alam, the Prime Minister’s Coordinator on Climate Change, emphasized Pakistan’s commitment to environmental conservation, climate research, and supporting mountain communities. She credited Italy’s ongoing support, particularly in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, for its crucial role in these efforts and highlighted the completion of Pakistan’s first comprehensive glacier inventory, which identified over 13,032 glaciers.
The “Glaciers and Students” project, coordinated by EvK2CNR and backed by the Italian government, played a pivotal role in this inventory. Alam noted that this discovery was critical for understanding Pakistan’s glacial resources, which are essential for the country’s drinking water and irrigation needs, especially in the face of climate-triggered disasters impacting vulnerable regions.
Alam pointed out the escalating challenges Pakistan faces due to climate change, particularly in Gilgit-Baltistan. She stressed the need for sustained international cooperation to tackle these issues and thanked Italy for its partnership, expressing hope for continued collaboration to address the country’s climate vulnerabilities.
Experts from EvK2CNR, Maurizio Gallo and Dr. Davide Fugazza, shared insights into the project’s accomplishments, including the installation of eight automatic weather stations in Gilgit-Baltistan. This advancement will aid in monitoring environmental changes and bolster Pakistan’s preparedness for climate impacts.
UNDP Pakistan’s Samuel Rizk provided an overview of the partnership’s achievements, highlighting UNDP’s role in facilitating international collaborations with Italy to enhance climate adaptation measures in Pakistan. The “Glaciers and Students” initiative, he added, has been a testament to successful cross-border efforts in climate resilience.
The project’s success also involved extensive academic collaboration, with institutions such as Karakoram International University, the University of Baltistan, and Italian universities contributing expertise. Notably, 171 female students from Gilgit-Baltistan participated, enriching the initiative and building local capacity in climate science.
