PESHAWAR: In a step towards enhancing developmental efforts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dr Arjumand Nizami, country director, Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation, met Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi at Governor House here the other day.

The meeting was also attended by Munawar Khan Khattak, provincial coordinator for KP, and Syed Nadeem Bukhari, senior programme officer from Helvetas.

Dr Arjumand provided a comprehensive briefing to the governor on Helvetas’ past and ongoing development projects in KP, highlighting its longstanding association with the province since 1982.

She underscored the impactful initiatives, particularly those targeting poverty alleviation and agricultural productivity. Special mention was made of the projects in DI Khan and Tank districts focusing on hill torrent management and disaster risk reduction, which have significantly benefited the local farming communities.

Dr Arjumand emphasised the visibility and attention brought to Rudh Kohi areas through these projects, potentially attracting national-level funding. She also informed the governor about Helvetas’ continued support to the 2022 floods affected communities. The support included construction of safe housing and drinking water supply schemes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh provinces.

Highlighting Helvetas’ pioneering role in climate-smart and water-efficient agriculture, she referred to Helvetas support to the Government of KP in developing the integrated water resource management (IWRM) strategy, Agro-ecological zone study of KP and promotion of vertical farming.

Recognising the role of Helvetas Swiss in the field of Climate Change and water efficient agriculture, Helvetas Swiss has been appointed as convenor of Sustainable Rice Platform in Pakistan. Establishment of Sustainable Rice Platform in Pakistan is expected to promote production of quality rice in Pakistan to meet international market standards.

Governor Kundi expressed keen interest in Helvetas’ skill-building initiatives and workplace safety measures for young employees in Peshawar.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2024