EU launches two major projects in Gilgit-Baltistan
Ambassador Raimundas Karoblis unveiled a carbon strategy and a ten-year agriculture policy prepared with European Union support.
European Union Ambassador to Pakistan Raimundas Karoblis launched two major projects for Gilgit-Baltistan on Wednesday in Gilgit, Dawn reported. The first is the GB Carbon Strategy and Action Plan, described as the first such plan for the territory. The second is the proposed Agriculture Policy and Action Plan 2027–2036 for GB.
Both documents were prepared for the GB government under a European Union policy support project. According to Dawn, the two initiatives are meant to help the region address climate change, protect its environment and pursue sustainable economic development. The agriculture policy is a proposed document covering 2027 to 2036 and is not yet final.
The launch ceremony took place in Gilgit. Dawn's available report did not give the exact venue, the list of officials present or the financial value of the EU support. It did confirm that the Carbon Strategy and Action Plan has been prepared for the GB government under the EU policy support project, and that the Agriculture Policy and Action Plan is a proposed ten-year framework.
Gilgit-Baltistan is among Pakistan's most climate-sensitive territories. Rising temperatures and changing water flows affect farming, glaciers and mountain livelihoods. The carbon strategy is expected to guide decisions on emissions and adaptation, while the agriculture policy is expected to shape farming, land use and rural development through 2036. The territory relies heavily on agriculture and tourism, both of which are exposed to climate risks. These are areas where the territory has limited planning capacity, and the EU-backed documents are meant to fill that gap.
The Express Tribune carried a headline saying an Islamabad Economic Master Plan was proposed, but its available feed contained no further details. Dawn's report did not mention that plan. The Express Tribune’s available feed did not say whether that plan was linked to the Gilgit-Baltistan projects. No date was given for formal adoption of the agriculture policy.
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