LONDON: A project that combines satellite images, mapping technologies and the local knowledge of villagers to help build climate-proof settlements in disaster-prone areas of Pakistan won an international award on Thursday.
More than 1 million people have benefited from the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) Pakistan project, which was a gold prize winner at the World Habitat Awards that are organized with the United Nations housing agency (UN-Habitat).
AKAH has trained about 50,000 residents to better protect their villages from disasters in the mountainous northern areas which are vulnerable to earthquakes, floods and environmental degradation, and are home to some of the poorest communities.
“It’s not just responding to the effects of the climate emergency, but being proactive in protecting people from its effects, using technology and the knowledge of communities,” said David Ireland, chief executive of World Habitat, a charity.
“It provides communities with the knowledge of where and how to live in safety in a changing world. The potential for this approach to be adapted and used in similar areas in Pakistan and elsewhere is absolutely huge,” he said in a statement.
Since 1980, more than 2 million people have been killed by natural disasters, according to the World Bank. Worsening climate change impacts threaten to push an additional 100 million people into extreme poverty within the next decade.
Pakistan is among the most disaster-prone countries in South Asia, according to the World Bank, and the remoteness of the northern mountainous areas make response efforts difficult.
Launched in 2006, the AKAH project includes mapping and monitoring hazards using satellite images and drones, and creating disaster risk management plans with the involvement of local residents.
It enables communities to build in safer areas, and better prepare for and respond to disasters, AKAH said.
By combining local knowledge, community involvement and technology, the project develops “resilient, sustainable communities capable of living in dignity” amidst the threat of climate-induced disasters, said Leilani Farha, a former UN expert on housing, and one of the judges for the award.
AKAH plans to extend the model to other rural parts of Pakistan, while its projects in Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Syria and India are also using this approach, and have completed risk assessments in nearly 2,500 villages covering 3 million people.
A key focus for AKAH Pakistan is the involvement of women, who make up about half the volunteers trained for disaster response, and who also participate in weather monitoring and mapping of high risk areas.
“This has given voice to women who had been considered mostly at the margins of society, and ensures their participation in developing the village disaster risk management plans,” said Samra Siraj, a program coordinator at AKAH.
“Women who had been conventionally viewed as vulnerable victims of disasters and emergencies, are now empowered individuals who can actively respond to disasters and serve the communities,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Pakistan project wins award for shielding villages from natural disasters
https://arab.news/z32f2
Pakistan project wins award for shielding villages from natural disasters
- More than 1 million people have benefited from the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat Pakistan project
- The project combines satellite images, mapping technologies and local knowledge of villagers to help build climate-proof settlements in disaster-prone areas
Karachi business leaders plan new airline amid Pakistan aviation sector’s shifts
- Air Karachi, inspired by Sialkot’s Air Sial, aims to raise Rs5 billion from 100 shareholders
- The move follows PIA’s financial struggles amid government’s privatization efforts
ISLAMABAD: Business leaders in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi will soon launch a new airline inspired by the success of Air Sial, which was established by their counterparts in Sialkot, a Pakistani city renowned for its cottage industries, according to a former leader of the Association of Builders and Developers of Pakistan on Wednesday.
The development comes as Pakistan witnesses the rise of private airlines amid the financial and administrative troubles faced by its national carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), which the government is working to privatize.
Hanif Gohar, who until recently was the association’s chairman, said the idea resonated with Karachi’s business community when he shared it following the launch of Air Sial.
“When I discussed the idea of an airline with Air Vice Marshal Imran Qadir, the recently retired Southern Commander of the Pakistan Air Force, he offered his expertise,” he told Arab News. “Subsequently, I presented it to the business community, which also supported it.”
Air Sial was launched with contributions of Rs10 million ($35,900) each from 300 businessmen, raising a total of Rs3 billion ($10.8 million) before its inauguration and the launch of its first domestic flight in December 2020. The airline began international operations in March 2023 with a flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The proposed carrier, Air Karachi, plans to pool Rs50 million ($179,502) from each of its 100 shareholders, totaling Rs5 billion ($18 million).
“The response was so enthusiastic that some business families proposed multiple shareholders,” Gohar said.
He added that the process of launching the airline has already begun.
“We have registered Air Karachi with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan and completed other formalities,” he said. “Once the government issues the license, which is expected soon, we will acquire three aircraft to launch domestic flights.”
Gohar further said that after the mandatory one year of domestic operations, the airline will expand its fleet to seven and begin international flights to the Middle East.a
He informed that Air Vice Marshal Qadir had been appointed the chief operating officer of Air Karachi, while a team of retired Air Force officials with extensive aviation experience has been assembled to support the initiative.
Notable shareholders in the venture include Pakistani business tycoons Aqeel Karim Dhedhi, Arif Habib, S.M. Tanveer, Bashir Jan Muhammad, Khalid Tawab, Zubair Tufail and Hamza Tabani.
The idea of a Karachi-based airline gained attention earlier this month after former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif advised his daughter and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to acquire PIA and rename it Air Punjab.
Following offers from the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments to purchase PIA, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori revealed that Karachi’s traders were also interested in acquiring the national airline.
“Karachi’s businesspersons are constantly contacting me to talk about the airline’s matters,” Tessori wrote on the social media platform X on Monday. “Karachi’s businesspersons want the PIA to be given to them for a year, and they are also interested in starting a new airline.”
Pakistan, China ink MoUs worth $250 million in animal fodder, fruits and vegetables processing
- MoUs signed at Pakistan-China B2B Conference held in Beijing with participation of over 200 representative from both nations
- This is third B2B meeting this year, one held in Qingdao with focus on fishery companies, second in Guangzhou for footwear
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan have signed 13 memorandums of understanding worth $250 with China to export fruits and vegetables, seafood and animal feed and establish joint ventures in Pakistan, state media reported on Wednesday.
The agreements were signed at the Pakistan-China B2B Conference held in Beijing with the participation of over 200 representatives from business groups in both nations. Pakistani officials used the forum to provide insights into the investment potential of the animal feed and fruit and vegetable processing industries. Several incentives for foreign investors were highlighted, including 100 percent foreign ownership, unrestricted profit and dividend repatriation, and zero import tariffs on factory equipment and machinery.
This is the third sector-wise Pakistan-China B2B meeting this year, with the first held in Qingdao with a focus on fishery companies, the second in Guangzhou for footwear, and the fourth slated to take place in Suzhou in December.
“Pakistan and China have signed thirteen MoUs on fostering joint ventures in animal fodder, fruits and vegetables processing sectors,” Radio Pakistan said. “The MoUs valued at 250 million US dollars were signed between Pakistani and Chinese companies in Beijing.”
Ghulam Qadir, Commercial Counsellor at the Embassy of Pakistan, told APP state news agency Pakistan’s competitive advantages in tariffs, labor costs, and raw materials could increase profit margins for businesses by up to 4.6 percent in fruit and vegetable processing. In the animal feed sector, particularly in the production of additives and supplements, profit margins could rise by as much as 3.6 percent.
“The Pakistani government is committed to creating a more business-friendly environment and has already addressed issues such as remittance challenges faced by Chinese companies,” Qadir said.
Mian Saeed Ahmed Fareed from Legend International Pvt. Ltd., a Karachi-based seafood exporter to China, said he had signed an agreement with an importer in Tianjin to export aquatic products to China.
“After COVID-19, our volume of export to China has been going up to about 700-800 metric tons of seafood annually including cuttlefish, squid, ribbon fish, croaker, etc. In recent several years, the demand for seafood in this vast market has increasingly diversified, ” he said.
A representative from a fodder company based in Weifang, an agricultural hub of China, appreciated the potential in bilateral markets, technology transfer, and raw material trade.
“The low labor and machinery cost in Pakistan provides us with opportunities for cooperation,” he told APP.
Tang Yaping, Director of the Tea Industry International Department, said she would lead a delegation of Chinese tea companies to visit Pakistan for the establishment of joint processing plants and warehouses.
Zhu Qianqiu, President of the Cross-Border Trade Development Committee in China, said the body was pushing for the establishment of a zero-tariff zone in Pakistan for trade in bilateral commodities.
Ceasefire fails in Pakistan’s northwest as sectarian clashes in Kurram kill 63
- The tribal district bordering Afghanistan has a long history of tribal and sectarian conflicts
- KP administration said it brokered a ceasefire after clashes followed the death of 41 people
PESHAWAR: At least 63 people have been killed and over 150 injured in the past three days in the northwestern Pakistani district of Kurram, as the seven-day ceasefire announced by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government failed to hold, and clashes between warring tribes continued.
Kurram, a former semi-autonomous tribal area bordering Afghanistan, has a long history of violent conflicts that have claimed hundreds of lives over the years. A major conflict in the district, triggered in 2007, lasted for years before being resolved by a jirga, or a council of tribal elders, in 2011.
The recent violence in the restive district erupted earlier this month when gunmen attacked a convoy carrying members of the minority Shiite community in the Uchat area of Lower Kurram, killing 41 people.
According to medical officials in the region, 63 bodies have been brought to two different medical facilities since the KP authorities said they had brokered the seven-day ceasefire.
“A total of 47 dead bodies and 132 injured people were brought to the hospital in the past three days,” a medical officer at the District Headquarters Hospital, who requested anonymity since he is not authorized to speak to the media, told Arab News on Wednesday.
Aziz-ur-Rehman, another doctor at BHU Mandori, also shared casualty figures over the phone.
“Sixteen dead bodies and 44 wounded individuals were brought to BHU Mandori during the recent clashes,” he said.
The KP administration announced the ceasefire on November 24, but Kurram continued to witness sporadic clashes.
According to Irfan Khan, a resident of the area, the situation remains “tense” in the district.
“The attacks intensify at night and relax during the day,” he told Arab News. “There is fear and tension all around as anything can happen at any time.”
Pakistani stocks rebound over 3,000 points after political clashes in Islamabad ease
- KSE-100 index recorded its largest-ever single-day decline on Tuesday, plummeting 3,506 points
- Analysts say the market has been performing well due to improved macroeconomic indicators
KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) rebounded significantly on Wednesday, rising over 3,000 points at the start of trade, following a steep drop a day earlier during major political clashes in the capital.
The benchmark KSE-100 index recorded its largest-ever single-day decline on Tuesday, plummeting 3,506 points, or 3.57 percent, amid political uncertainty triggered by a protest march on Islamabad led by supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, demanding his release from jail.
Khan’s followers retreated overnight after security forces conducted a large-scale operation in Islamabad, clearing the main thoroughfare near parliament and key government buildings.
Subsequently, the PSX surged by 3,260.99 points in the morning, trading at 97,835.15 as of 11:10 AM.
According to Shehryar Butt, portfolio manager at Dawson Securities, the stock market has been performing well lately due to improved macroeconomic indicators.
“The stock exchange came under pressure yesterday due to the political noise in the country,” he told Arab News. “The market stood on 99,700 points before it came down. Today, it is back on track since the political protest is over.”
Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Sunday that political protests had inflicted daily economic losses of Rs190 billion ($684 million), compounding the challenges faced by the nation’s struggling $350 billion economy.
Amid the unrest, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is leading a 68-member delegation in Pakistan to discuss enhanced economic cooperation.
Both nations on Tuesday signed 15 memoranda of understanding aimed at boosting trade and investment ties, which the government hopes will help stabilize Pakistan’s economy.
The government has also accused Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of attempting to sabotage Lukashenko’s visit and impede the country’s path to economic recovery.
PTI lawmakers have said, however, they planned the protest before information about the Belarusian delegation’s visit was made public, dismissing the government’s allegation.
ICC to decide fate of Pakistan’s Champions Trophy on Friday
- India has declined to play in Pakistan over security concerns, which the hosts have dismissed
- Last year, when Pakistan hosted Asia Cup, India’s matches were played outside the country
KARACHI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) will meet this week to determine the destiny of next year’s Champions Trophy after India refused to play in host nation Pakistan, a spokesman said Tuesday.
Earlier this month, the ICC informed the Pakistan Cricket Board that India would not tour Pakistan for the eight-team tournament, leaving the fate of the event hanging in the balance.
The nuclear-armed neighbors have fought three wars since being carved out of the subcontinent’s partition in 1947 and that rivalry is often reflected on the cricket field.
A spokesman for the ICC based in Dubai told AFP they could “confirm an ICC meeting on Friday” where the issue will be on the agenda, without providing further details.
The PCB has already rejected proposals that would allow India to play in a neutral third country, insisting the full schedule from February 19 to March 9 must be staged on their turf.
India’s cricket board has not commented on the tournament.
Deteriorating political ties mean bitter rivals India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral cricket series for over a decade — squaring off only in ICC multi-nation events.
Pakistan suffered a years-long drought of matches at home as teams refused to visit after a 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore. International play only fully resumed in 2020.
When Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup, India’s matches were played outside the country.
But Pakistani cricket chiefs have rejected security fears for the Champions Trophy, pointing to their recent successful hosting of top teams including Australia, England, and South Africa.
The Champions Trophy will be the first ICC event staged in Pakistan since it co-hosted the 1996 World Cup with India and Sri Lanka.
