Italy launches €4 million climate resilience initiative for Sindh

ISLAMABAD: An Italian humanitarian organization has launched a €4 million initiative aimed at strengthening the climate resilience of vulnerable communities in Sindh, one of Pakistan’s provinces most affected by climate-related risks.

According to a press release, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Italian NGO CESVI have signed a partnership agreement to officially launch the RAFAA (Resilience & Adaptation by Fostering Anticipatory Action) project in Sindh. The initiative is funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).

The €4 million project seeks to enhance resilience in communities at risk from climate impacts through anticipatory action and sustainable adaptation strategies.

The signing ceremony took place at the residence of Marilina Armellin, the Ambassador of Italy to Pakistan, and was attended by representatives from FAO, CESVI, the Embassy of Italy, and AICS.

Spanning 36 months, the RAFAA project will support rural communities in Sindh—one of the provinces most vulnerable to climate shocks such as floods, droughts, and heatwaves—by establishing multi-hazard early warning systems, improving water quality monitoring, and promoting climate-resilient livelihoods.

The initiative will also explore climate risk insurance and develop anticipatory action protocols at provincial and district levels.

Marilina Armellin, remarked: “The initiative supports Pakistan’s national priorities for climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction and aligns with Italy’s development cooperation strategy to promote sustainable agriculture and social inclusion.”

In a joint statement, Florence Rolle, FAO Representative in Pakistan, and Farhan A. Khan, Regional Manager – Asia Region for CESVI, emphasized the urgency of acting ahead of crises.

The RAFAA project will begin with a three-month inception phase to identify the three target districts in Sindh, using a combination of climate vulnerability data, flood impact assessments, and poverty mapping.

RAFAA will be implemented in collaboration with technical partners including the Sindh Agriculture Department, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (SIDA), Livestock and Irrigation Departments, the Sindh Social Protection Authority, and the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination.

The initiative aligns with national and provincial policy frameworks, directly supporting Pakistan’s National Adaptation Plan (2023) and Sindh’s Climate Change Policy (2022) by enhancing institutional capacity and community readiness to respond to climate-induced disasters.