FAO and CESVI sign partnership agreement with AICS to launch €4 Million climate resilience project in Sindh
Islamabad: – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and CESVI signed a partnership agreement to officially launch the RAFAA: Resilience & Adaptation by Fostering Anticipatory Action project in Sindh, Pakistan. Funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), the €4 million initiative aims to strengthen resilience among vulnerable communities facing climate-related risks through anticipatory action and sustainable adaptation measures.
The signing ceremony was held at the residence of Her Excellency Marilina Armellin, Ambassador of Italy to Pakistan, in the presence of representatives from FAO, CESVI, the Embassy of Italy, and AICS.
Spanning 36 months, the RAFAA project will support rural communities in Sindh—one of Pakistan’s provinces most exposed to climate shocks such as floods, droughts, and heatwaves—by establishing multi-hazard early warning systems, improving water quality monitoring, promoting climate-resilient livelihoods and community-based disaster response mechanisms. The initiative will also explore climate risk insurance and develop anticipatory action protocols at provincial and district levels.
Her Excellency 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, Ms. Florence Rolle, FAO Representative in Pakistan, and Mr. Farhan A. Khan, Regional Manager – Asia Region for CESVI, emphasized the urgency of acting ahead of crises:
“As climate change continues to intensify the frequency and severity of disasters, early and anticipatory action is no longer optional—it is essential. Through this partnership, we aim to empower communities, especially women and marginalized groups, to anticipate and prepare for climate shocks before they strike. By working closely with local institutions, we can build more inclusive, informed, and resilient systems that protect both lives and livelihoods.”
This FAO-CESVI partnership builds upon the Letter of Intent (LoI) signed between FAO and CESVI in Rome in January 2023, which formalized the organizations’ commitment to enhancing emergency preparedness and resilience through joint programming. The LoI highlights both organizations’ shared priorities in environmental rehabilitation, disaster risk reduction, and support for grassroots communities, particularly through locally driven, inclusive approaches.
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.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
