HYDERABAD: The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has launched a project to train farmers about climate change adaptation and mitigation measures. Farmers’ capacity-building would also be done under the project.

A delegation of the FAO headed by Zabio Grito called on Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (SIDA) officials on Friday, said a Sida press release, adding that the other members of delegation included Dr Ashfaq Ahmed, Hyder Shabbir, Umer Kousar Malik and Saddam Qureshi.

The delegation informed Sida officials that FAO wanted to develop a web portal under Green Climate Fund (GCF). This would help farmers acquire knowledge and information about irrigation, agriculture and climate on a daily basis, they said.

Irrigation managers would also be able to have this information so that they could efficiently run irrigation system, distribute water and handle other tasks. Farmers would be able to continue their agricultural activities accordingly in view of this information.

Sida general manger (research and development) Ghulam Mustafa Ujjan informed the delegation that Sida did have the geographical and information system cell which was based on the offered technique. This system provides information about statistics regarding barrages, dams, head works and canal water flows on a daily basis.

He said that efforts were under way to include farmer organisations’ details and numbers as soon as possible. The visiting delegation appreciated working of this cell and offered that FAO would help solve any problem faced in this system.

The delegation said that a written presentation should be submitted to FAO so that facilitation could be given to Sida.

It was noted at the meeting that under GCF, FAO had launched projects in Sindh and Punjab to deal with issues relating to climate change, water flows’ measurement figures and problems being faced by irrigation, Sida and agriculture officials. These officials would be provided training under the programme and they would be able to release water-related figures on a daily basis. Such training would help them ensure a judicious distribution of water.

Sida general manager (operations) Jairam Das Bhatia and other officials were also present.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2022