Pakistan's minister of state visits Climate Smart Village in Kavre (CSV)

Honorable Minister of State,  Government of Pakistan,  Marvi Memon, who is also  Chairperson of the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), paid a visit to Climate Smart Village in Kavre district in early March along with a small delegation from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and Centre for Environmental and Agricultural Policy Research, Ex-tension and Development (CEAPRED).  As Chairperson of the BISP – the largest single social safety net program in Pakistan’s history – the Minister wanted to learn more about best practices and technologies for empowering women.

Ms. Memon was welcomed by the women’s group in CSV site Kalche Besi; one of eight villages in Kavre, where CSVs are being piloted under the Himalayan Climate Change Adaptation Program (HICAP). Initiated in 2014 across four villages – two in the lower hills and two in the upper hills in Kavre - the pilot was extended to include four more villages in 2015. Altogether, the pilot has 1,089 participating farmers, 82% of those are women farmers. 

Over the day, the minister observed the simple, affordable, replicable and climate friendly practices adopted by farmers in the village and was introduced to the CSV concept that introduces six different smart interventions: nutrient smart, water smart, crop smart, energy smart, ICT smart, and future smart. The CSV approach draws from Food and Agriculture Organization’s Climate Smart Agriculture, and is localized in a mountain context. Ms. Memom also was interested in understanding the novel and simple concept of equipping communities with tools to improve resilience to climate change and other changes, particularly in agriculture.