UN agricultural agency helps Pakistan cope

A United Nations development agency is teaming up with Pakistan's federal and provincial authorities to shore up the country's agriculture that is among the sectors most affected by a multitude of natural disasters each year, includingfloods, earthquakes, droughts, landslides and avalanches."This assessment is a key tool to further develop the capacity of the agriculture sector institutions to mainstream the disaster risk management, witha special focus on disaster risk reduction, in their planning and action" UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Deputy Representative in Pakistan Francisco Gamarro said of a recently finalized study on the issue.With a 21 percent share of the national gross domestic product (GDP) and a 45 percent share of Pakistan's total workforce, the agency said it is crucial that agriculture be able to prevent and mitigate the impact of disasters.The FAO, together with national, provincial and regional level disaster management authorities and civil society organizations last week finalized the Institutional Assessment on integrating disaster risk management into Pakistan's agricultural sector, it said.The study identified areas and measures that needto be strengthened in a series of workshops with key stakeholders across the country.Among the goals of the FAO, which seeks to achieve food security for all, is the sustainable management and utilization of natural resources, including land, water, air and climate.News SourceNews Collated byPAKISSAN.com