On the occasion of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, Pakistan joins the international community in reaffirming its commitment to effectively address the grave issues of land degradation, desertification, and drought.
This year, the Day is being observed under the theme “Rangelands: Recognize. Respect. Restore.” The theme itself highlights the critical importance of rangelands for food security, biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, water management, and the sustainable agricultural livelihoods.
Pakistan’s vast rangelands are among our most valuable natural assets. They play a vital role in supporting livestock-based livelihoods and the entire rural economy. And also support the efforts to conserve biodiversity, and maintaining ecological balance.
Pakistan remains among the countries most vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. Rising temperatures, prolonged dry spells, water scarcity, and land degradation pose significant challenges to our agricultural productivity and national food security.
The Government of Pakistan is fully committed to addressing these challenges through a comprehensive strategy focused on land restoration, sustainable rangeland management, afforestation, ecosystem restoration initiatives, drought mitigation, and the active participation of local communities.
To strengthen and modernize the agricultural economy, the Federal Government has launched the “Zarkhaiz Scheme” to provide financial support to farmers. Under this initiative, interest-free easy loans are being extended to farmers to help them undertake measures for enhancing and protecting the productivity of their agricultural land. The Government has allocated substantial resources under the Zarkhaiz Scheme to support millions of small farmers. In addition to providing loans, the Zarkhaiz Scheme also offers subsidies on agricultural machinery to enhance farmers’ productive capacity while promoting the sustainable management of fertile land.
On this occasion, I call upon all relevant government institutions, the federal and provincial governments, academia, civil society organizations, the private sector, and local communities to further strengthen their collective efforts for the protection, restoration, and sustainable management of land resources. Through individual and collective action, afforestation, and close cooperation, we can enhance our resilience to the impacts of climate change and secure a stable and prosperous future for generations to come.
Let us renew our commitment to working together for the protection and restoration of our fertile lands, forests, and natural rangelands.
