SAR- Strengthening climate adaptation and resilience

On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is supporting the Pakistan government to improve the conditions for climate adaptation and resilience as well as climate risk management with a specific focus on vulnerable population, especially women. The project "Strengthening Climate Adaptation and Resilience (SAR)" supports the entire planning cycle of climate change adaptation measures: from the preparation of climate risk assessments to the piloting of financing approaches and instruments. It also supports the measures at the local level as well as up-scaling through international climate finance. The interventions of the SAR Project are designed specifically to focus on vulnerable population, especially women. It supports its partners to conduct gender-sensitive climate risk assessments as well as integrating gender-sensitive climate risk data into planning and (potentially) budget allocation processes and public investment projects. SAR supports the government of Pakistan in three areas: Climate Risk Assessments: Conduct sector specific assessments to understand the vulnerability of the key sectors affected by climate change. Build the capacities of relevant actors on climate risk analysis and on the proper interpretation and use of gender-sensitive climate risk data at the federal and provincial level (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab). Planning and financial instruments for climate risk management: Support partner institutions to strengthen the planning and financing capacities of climate adaptation, resilience and climate risk management measures in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. In collaboration with the provincial Planning and Development Departments, the project supports the integration of climate risks into the planning and budgeting processes and strengthens relevant provincial capacities on how to use the relevant climate change indicators and markers. Moreover, the project will pilot new financial and non-financial approaches and instruments to mitigate the climate risks. These instruments may include social insurance programmes, such as cash transfer schemes, public-private partnerships, microfinance, climate risk insurance products and piloting of non-financial adaptation solutions with a special focus on women and vulnerable communities. The final selection of the approaches and instruments will be a joint decision to be based on criteria of effectiveness and efficiency. Accessing international climate finance: Support the Pakistan government to improve the conditions for accessing international climate finance for climate adaptation and resilience as well as climate risk management measures. SAR focuses on developing the capacities of partner institutions and competencies of individuals regarding access to international adaptation finance. It strengthens the related capacities and competencies, particularly on the adaptation hypothesis, indicators, and donor requirements. It also supports concrete project development processes that build on the experiences of adaptation financing and implementation.