PESHAWAR: UNDP Pakistan’s Scaling Up of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods Risk Reduction Project (Glof-II) held a series of workshops to ensure effective communication and coordination among stakeholders in the project areas.

A statement issued here said that these workshops brought together community members and representatives from various government departments, including PDMA, OFWM, forest, SWC, and other relevant officials at the district or tehsil levels.

UNDP Glof-II Project organised these workshops in Utror, Matiltan and Mankiyal valleys of Swat district From Sept 7 to 9.

The workshops provided a platform to identify and address potential communication and coordination challenges that may arise during the project’s implementation in these areas. The primary objective of these workshops was to cement clear and effective communication and coordination among all stakeholders involved in the project, ensuring that community members were well-informed and actively engaged throughout the project’s duration.

“This workshop gave us the opportunity to voice our concerns. We were pleased to see that the stakeholders listened to our inputs and assured us that the project activities will fully reflect our perspective,” said Mahmood Khan, a resident of Matiltan valley.

UNDP’s Glof-II project works in 16 valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan and eight valleys of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It empowers communities to identify and manage risks associated with Glofs and related impacts of climate change, strengthens public services to lower the risk of disasters related to Glofs, and improves community preparedness and disaster response. The project also supports the development of sustainable livelihood options in project areas, with a particular focus on the participation of women in ensuring food security and livelihoods.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2024