SDPI, ABAD ink MoU for development of Punjab Barani Tract

Both parties agree to promote socio economic development on a sustainable basis

Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Agency for Barani Areas Development (ABAD) in Islamabad on Monday to promote joint research and enhance knowledge for the purpose of socio-economic development of barani areas on a sustainable basis. Both SDPI and ABAD also agreed to create public awareness through joint advocacy and outreach activities incorporating different themes of the rural economy, with particular focus on water related issues, as a means of promoting social development.

ABAD Director General Dr Ehtasham Anwar and SDPI Executive Director Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organisations.



Speaking on the occasion, Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri said socio economic development of semi-arid and barani tract remained mired mainly due to the lack of access to basic public services and livelihood opportunities. He said SDPI under its Pathways to Resilience in Semi-Arid Economies (PRISE) research programme conducted similar research, and under the agreement, SDPI’s PRISE research team would collaborate with ABAD for joint research initiatives to produce new knowledge about how economic development in semi-arid and barani regions can be made more equitable and resilient. He said that the memorandum aims to strengthen the research capacity of ABAD through different research trainings and workshops. Monitoring and Evaluation is another area where SDPI can help ABAD for discrete assessment and improvement of their projects, he added.

Earlier, Dr Ehtasham Anwar said that ABAD is an attached subdivision of the Planning and Development Department, and was mandated for the socio-economic development of Punjab Barani Tract, which is spread over 13 districts of Punjab. He said ABAD has a crucial role to ensure development of barani regions where people still remained in poor socio economic conditions, development was a major challenge. He said that ABAD has limited research capacity and the memorandum will be utilised to seek research and technical support from SDPI.



SDPI Senior Advisor Chemicals &Sustainable Industrial Development Dr Mahmood A. Khwaja, SDPI Director Research Uptake and Business Development Shakeel Ahmad Ramay, Shafqat, SDPI Director Policy, Campaigns and Communications Munir Ahmed and other officials from both sides were also present.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 5^th, 2018.