Climate-based agro ecological zones developed for KP

The Climate Change Centre at Agriculture University of Peshawar (AUP) in collaboration with the Helvetas Swiss Inter-cooperation (HSI) Pakistan and Meteorological department, Government of Pakistan has successfully developed Climate Based Agro Ecological Zones (AEZs) for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The new zones will replace earlier zones defined by FAO back in 1970s.
The climate based AEZs were presented in a national level workshop held at Agriculture University of Agriculture, (AUP). The workshop was chaired by Professor Dr Zahoor Ahmad Swati, Vice Chancellor UAP and Muhammad Israr Khan, Secretary to government of KP; Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperation Department. Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Noor P Khan, Dr Arjumand Nizami, Country Director HSI, Deans, Chairmen, Director Generals various departments including Pakistan Forest Institute, Agriculture Research System, Livestock and Dairy Development Department, Nadeem Bukhari Team Leader, Dr Jawad Ali Advisor, Directors of P&D and VC Secretariat, officers of relevant provincial departments, Professors and delegates from NCA, FFC and other organisations attended the consultation workshop.
Professor Dr Muhammad Zulfiqar, Director Climate Change Centre stated that with changing climate scenario the farming community is hit the most and climate based Agro-ecological zoning is a timely initiative which would help plan adaptation measures by the farmers. He said that an effective adaptation of and climate based Agro-ecological zoning could help in poverty reduction and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Professor Dr Zahoor Ahmad Swati, Vice Chancellor stated that Pakistan being an agrarian country is most vulnerable to climate change. The climate based AEZs would help greatly in conducting relevant research and creation of appropriate technologies for extension to the farming community. He further said that FAO did a great job in 1970 by establishing geographic based AEZs. However, with the passage of time particularly changing climate has brought many variations and refinement of FAO established AEZs was direly needed to minimised adverse impacts of climate change on farming community and food security of the country.
Muhammad Israr Khan, Secretary Agriculture, in his address stated that the provincial government and agriculture department is vigilantly pursuing the mission of facilitating farming community and improving agriculture sector productivity to address poverty and food security issues in the Province.
He valued the development of improved version of existing AEZs that will play a vital role in development planning of the department particularly in the wake of changing climate. Dr Arjumand Nizami, Country Director HSI, briefed about the background of the workshop and contribution of various stakeholders in the process of defining these zones. She stated that the basis of these AEZs is the FAO established AEZs of 1970s. She further said that Helvetas has been working for the betterment of farming community of KP since long and refinement of AEZs is a great step in the same direction.
Thereafter a detailed presentation on newly defined climate-based AEZs was made by Nadeem Bukhari. He informed that the challenges and threats to local crops and livelihoods caused by changing climate will be transformed into opportunities through new AEZs. While evolving new AEZs we benefited from advanced applications of; potential land suitability and productivity, estimation of arable land, population supporting capacity, land-use planning, land degradation risk assessment, land management, livestock forage balance assessment, farming system analysis, agriculture technology transfer and climate change adaptation planning.
Dr Jawad Ali informed that evolution of new AEZs is a joint collaboration of Helvetas Swiss Inter-cooperation Pakistan, Climate Change Centre of the University of Agriculture Peshawar, Meteorological Department of Pakistan, National University of Science and Technology (NUST) Islamabad and KP Agriculture Department. He thanked all the collaborative partners and hoped that their efforts will serve the national cause of adaptation to climate change.
To the end of workshop, Professor Dr Noor Khan Pro Vice Chancellor appreciated the efforts of the Climate Change Centre UAP and Helvetas Swiss Inter-cooperation Pakistan for working on important area which has implications for our crops & livestock productivity in view of changing climatic conditions. He emphasised that there should be an ongoing research process to update to AEZs after every 10 years in the wake of emerging new scenarios and shifts in temperature and precipitation patterns due to climate change.