The European Union (EU) will provide €58 million (Rs. 11.1 billion) to support the Government of Balochistan in its efforts to address water scarcity and improve access and quality of primary and middle-level education in the province.
The announcement follows the signing of two new financing agreements today by the Ministry of Economic Affairs Secretary, Noor Ahmed, and Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan, Androulla Kaminara.
The five-year €40 million program on water governance will contribute to the transition in the arid regions of Balochistan towards sustainable, low water-intensive agricultural and livestock farming systems. The program will be implemented in 2021.
The support will include incentives for farmers to use water more efficiently and unleash the potential of livestock by supporting sustainable rangelands management, with a special focus on the most vulnerable groups.
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This will not only contribute to improved productivity by making better use of scarce water resources but also help improve the groundwater recharge in the medium to long-term.
The program will also focus on strengthening public extension services to ensure farmers receive appropriate support on the water for agriculture and livestock.
The program will be implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with local partners.
The European Union will also provide €18 million (Rs. 3.4 million) in support of the efforts of the Government of Balochistan to strengthen the education systems in the province. The ‘Balochistan Education Support Program II’, will work towards ensuring that all children have access to basic education and improving the quality of education.
The four-year program will be implemented by the United Nations Children’s Fund – UNICEF. It will involve local communities in school development planning, help enhance the training of teachers, and support stronger education institutions.
In the COVID-19 context, the program will also focus on SOPs for safe school reopening and operation, as well as on enrollment and retention drives in targeted districts to avoid massive dropouts due to the pandemic.
It will also introduce innovative elements, such as work on the inclusion of parallel education systems in mainstream education policy.
Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan, Androulla Kaminara, said,
These new programs are the result of a sustained collaboration between the European Union, the Government of Balochistan, and the Ministry of Economic Affairs to tackle the substantial development challenges in the province and unleash its potential.
She said that Balochistan is one of the regions of Pakistan at greater risk from climate change, which threatens livelihoods, and considering the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19, it is crucial to invest in low water agriculture to reduce poverty and malnutrition.
She said, “In the education sector the EU is renewing its commitment to helping children, especially the most vulnerable, to receive an education and be able to follow their dreams, contributing to a better future for Pakistan.”
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Noor Ahmed hailed EU and Pakistan’s long-term partnership and appreciated the support of the EU in rural development, education, good governance, and rule-of-law under the Multiannual Indicative Program (MIP 2014-20).
Ambassador of EU reiterated the commitment of the European Union to broaden and deepen the development cooperation with Pakistan, and to launch the next Multi-annual Indicative Program 2021-27, which will primarily be focused on the priorities of the Government of Pakistan.
