LAHORE: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Punjab government have formalised a new partnership to strengthen climate and water information systems in the province through the establishment of the Agriculture, Climate and Water (ACWA) Punjab Consortium.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in Lahore during the MoU Signing Ceremony and the first meeting of the Punjab ACWA Consortium, held under the Green Climate Fund (GCF)-supported project “Transforming the Indus Basin with Climate Resilient Agriculture and Water Management”, co-financed by the provincial governments of Punjab and Sindh.
The FAO is implementing the initiative to strengthen climate-resilient agriculture, sustainable water management and institutional capacity across the Indus Basin. Under the Punjab ACWA Consortium, the agreement provides a formal framework for collaboration among the Planning and Development Board, Agriculture Department, Irrigation Department, Environment Protection and Climate Change Department, and Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), with FAO providing technical support.
The institutional framework builds on longstanding cooperation between the FAO and the Punjab government, following the signing of a Letter of Intent between the FAO and the Planning and Development Board, Punjab, in May 2024. Following review by relevant stakeholders and vetting by the Punjab Law Department, the MoU received formal approval from the 36th Standing Committee of the Cabinet on Legislative Business and Privatization on June 9, 2026.
Under the FAO’s climate-resilient agriculture project, several field-based systems have been installed, including 24 automatic weather stations, 15 in Punjab and nine in Sindh, along with Eddy Covariance towers, canal flow sensors and groundwater monitoring sensors across target districts. Agro-climatic, hydrological and related data generated by these systems is fed into the ACWA portal.
The ACWA portal makes information generated through climate, agricultural and water monitoring systems more accessible to decision-makers for planning, policy development, advisories and resource management.
The establishment of the Punjab ACWA Consortium will extend this investment beyond the project period by creating an institutional mechanism for data governance, coordination, operational oversight and long-term sustainability.
During the first consortium meeting, participating institutions discussed arrangements for regular meetings, departmental responsibilities for data contribution, data backup and secure storage, data licensing and confidentiality, as well as options for maintaining and hosting the ACWA portal after completion of the project.
Secretary Planning and Development Punjab Rafaqat Ali said: “Punjab’s development planning increasingly requires reliable and timely information on climate, agriculture and water resources. The establishment of the ACWA Punjab Consortium provides an important institutional platform to bring this information at a single portal to facilitate decision-making and strengthening coordination among provincial departments. By promoting evidence-based planning and shared ownership of data, the initiative can support better investment decisions, more efficient management of natural resources and stronger resilience of Punjab’s agricultural economy to climate change.”
FAO Pakistan Representative James Okoth said: “FAO is committed to supporting the government of Punjab in building resilient and sustainable agri-food systems. The ACWA Punjab Consortium reflects the value of strong national and provincial ownership, institutional coordination and evidence-based decision-making. By bringing climate, agriculture and water information into a coordinated framework, Punjab is strengthening the foundation for more informed policies and services that respond to the realities faced by farmers and communities. The FAO will continue to provide technical support and facilitate knowledge and innovation in line with Pakistan’s development priorities.“
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026