Climate change ministry gets Rs803m under PSDP

Govt sets aside Rs20m for Climate Resilient Human Settlement Unit

ISLAMABAD: The government has allocated a budget of Rs803 million from Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the development portfolio of Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) for the financial year 2018-19.

The government has earmarked Rs36 million for two new schemes and Rs767 million for ongoing projects of MoCC.

Though two new projects of MoCC are yet to be approved by Departmental Development Party (DDWP), federal government set aside Rs20 million for the establishment of the Climate Resilient Human Settlement Unit in fiscal budget for year 2018-2019. The estimated cost of the project is Rs56.825million.

In addition, government has also allocated Rs16 million from PSDP for establishment of WASH Strategic Planning & Coordination Cell in fiscal budget. The total estimated cost of the project is Rs40 million.

The MoCC had submitted its demand of Rs69.81 million for its three new projects including establishment of Pakistan Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Strategic Planning and Coordination Cell, Climate Resilient Urban Human Settlements Unit, Establishment of Climate Change Reporting Unit in Ministry of Climate Change.

Similarly, government has also reserved an amount of Rs766 million for six ongoing schemes of MoCC in its budget for financial year 2018-2019. The MoCC had demanded Rs738.50 million for its six ongoing projects including establishment of a geomantic centre for climate change, Green Pakistan Programme, Sustainable Land Management project to combat desertification of Pakistan (SLMP-II), and strengthening Zoological Survey of Pakistan for undertaking immediate inventory of endangered wildlife species and habitats nationwide.

However, the government spared Rs88.494 million for construction of a boundary wall for a zoo cum botanical garden, Islamabad in the next fiscal budget. The estimated cost of the project is Rs104 million and the project was approved by CDWP in 2017.  In the outgoing fiscal year government had allocated Rs15 million for this scheme. The government also allocated Rs18 million for establishment of Geomatic Centre for Climate Change, Islamabad.  The DDWP had approved this project in 2013 with an estimated cost of Rs48.88 million. the objectives of the project was to promote application of various tracking technologies for assessing the existing situation of the forest, soil, climate, pollution, marine life, desertification and other environmental elements. It also aimed at facilitating better environmental planning in the country, through assessment of the environmental impact of different human activities, making them compatible with the objectives of sustainable development.

The government has allocated Rs390 million for Green Pakistan Programme (GPP) for the revival of forestry resources in Pakistan. The project was approved by ECNEC in 2017, with an estimated cost of Rs2.06 billion. Till end of current fiscal year Rs1.144 billion was to be spent on the GPP project. The government has also apportioned Rs229 million for revival of wildlife resources in Pakistan under GPP in the coming fiscal budget.  The project was approved by CDWP in April 2017, with an estimated cost of Rs739 million and till June 30, 2018 around Rs106 million are to be incurred on the project.

The government also spared Rs19 million for GPP from PSDP for strengthening of Zoological Survey of Pakistan undertaking immediate inventory of endangered wildlife species and habitats across Pakistan. The project was approved by CDWP in 2017 with an approximated cost of Rs88 million and till end of ongoing fiscal year Rs29 million will be the amount spent on the project.  The government also fixed Rs19 million for Sustainable Land Management Programme to combat Desertification in Pakistan. The project was approved by CDWP in 2015 with estimated cost of Rs106 million.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 29^th, 2018.