LEAD Pakistan - Activities Update

LEAD Pakistan Brings Fellows from Member Programs together on Climate Change

In order to strengthen Fellow-to-Fellow interaction and networking, LEAD Pakistan offered 12 full scholarships to Fellows from 14 LEAD Member Programs for participation in an intensive five-day workshop on Climate Change: Adaptation Challenges in OIC Countries. Fellows from Bangladesh, China, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa and Tunisia attended the workshop from June 30 to July 5, 2008. The conference was organized in Islamabad by LEAD Pakistan in collaboration with COMSTECH - the OIC Committee for Scientific and Technological Cooperation and Higher Education Commission of Pakistan to reflect upon the challenges and discuss Adaptation approaches.
The participants stressed on the need to take collaborative initiatives locally, regionally and globally and to plan risk reduction, mitigation and adaptation strategies for the future. The workshop initiated a network of committed professionals across the OIC countries for future collaboration around climate change and related issues. READ MORE: www.lead.org.pk/oic

LEAD Pakistan Launches a Unique Website on Climate Change

LEAD Pakistan launched its website on Climate Change this June. The website is an integral part of LEAD Pakistan's Climate Action Program. The website contains information about LEAD's work on climate change including various seminars, conferences and trainings held, LEAD's climate change networks, publications, policy papers, partnerships established, and general information on the subject of climate change. For further information, you can access the website at www.lead.org.pk/cc

Situation Analysis on Climate Challenge Released

LEAD Pakistan undertook wide ranging consultations on Climate Change. The multi-sectoral stakeholder engagement solicited views and opinions from more than 300 individuals from different regions of Pakistan. The final report was released and is accessible at www.lead.org.pk

Climate Change Programme

Responding to the growing threat of global warming and increasing vulnerability of developing nations LEAD Pakistan partnered with the British High Commission to conduct a scoping study on “Pakistan’s Options for Adaptation to and Mitigation of Climate Change Effects”.

To generate data and discussion for the scoping study, LEAD Pakistan held consultations with stakeholders in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar, during February, 2008. The discussion in Islamabad on March 13th, 2008, was a culmination of aforementioned consultations. It was designed to collate findings and recommendations from the previous events, for review and discussion.

Dr. Adil Najam, a professor at Boston University, USA delivered a thought-provoking lecture on “Environment, Development and Security: The Case of Climate Change” on March 31th. “The Knowledge Network on Climate Change” (KNCC) became operational soon after Dr. Najam’s talk and has about 250 subscribers.

ISET’s partnership with IUCN and LEAD Pakistan lead to the holding of a multi-stakeholder consultation on determining a research agenda for Climate Change.

Dina Khan from LEAD Pakistan conducted a session on “The Climate Change and Disasters Nexus” during a training organized by ERRA, on May 13th.

“Roundtable on Climate Change: The Impact on Biodiversity and Agriculture” was organized by LEAD Pakistan on the eve of World Biodiversity Day on May 22th, in collaboration with UNESCO, the Ministry of Environment, the Planning Commission of Pakistan, UNDP and FAO.

DRN-Balakot-Empowering the quake affected

The devastating earthquake in Azad Kashmir, on October 8th, 2005 razed many areas to the ground. Cities like Muzaffarabad, Balakot and Garhi Habibullah were reduced to ruins. An estimated 80,000 people lost their lives to the quake and 300,000 were left homeless.

LEAD Pakistan successfully negotiated phase-II of its pilot project on Volunteerism in Balakot, with Oxfam Novib. With the monetary support of OXFAM Novib, LEAD Pakistan is creating a network of 400 volunteers from 12 Union Councils. of Balakot Tehsil in Mansehra District. The network has been named as Disaster Response Network Balakot (DRN-Balakot). DRN-Balakot shall comprise minimum of 33 volunteers from each of the 12 Union Councils of Balakot Tehsil. Specialized trainings are being imparted to the members of DRN-Balakot project.

More than 250 community workers and activists are being trained in tehsil Balakot in basic volunteering, risk assessment and networking skills, through a series of workshops, as part of the DRN-project.

Leadership Development Programme

LEAD Pakistan’s Leadership Development Programme (LDP) saw its 12th cohort (Jan 2007-April 2008) graduate successfully. The two day C-12 Graduation session was based on the theme of “Climate Justice: Mainstreaming Adaptation Strategies and Disaster Preparedness”. Now the number of LEAD fellows in Pakistan is 158.

Reproductive health for life

LEAD Pakistan is conducting a series of trainings on reproductive health, for mid- to senior-level professionals in district Khairpur, Sindh and district Lodhran, Punjab, under the project “Enabling Effective District Leadership for Reproductive Health in Pakistan”.

Towards Successful Leadership

A three-day workshop titled “Towards Successful Leadership” was organized from 28th - 30th May, in Burbhan.

Release date: Thursday, September 25, 2008