The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) and Lok Sanjh Foundation (LSF) signed a cooperation agreement under its International Water Stewardship Programme (IWaSP) on Monday to address shared water risks in Punjab and to build capacity of smallholder farmers in water resource management through a water stewardship approach.
GIZ-IWaSP Country Coordinator, Dr Naveed Alam, Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) Country Manager, Dr Shafiq Ahmed and Lok Sanjh Foundation (LSF) Managing Director, Dr Shahid Zia signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organizations, said a press release issued here. The multiparty agreement aims at building the capacity of farmers in pursuing better cotton standards by improving and ensuring their access to essential technology, farm machinery, and agricultural advisory services as well as to empower farmers and improve their positions in the marketplace through an agricultural cooperatives approach. The GIZ on behalf of the German Development Cooperation and the UK Department for International Development (DFID) is implementing IWaSP in Pakistan. -PR