FAO project rolls out crop-specific climate advisories for farmers

LAHORE: The Food and Agriculture Organisation is implementing a climate-resilient agriculture and water management project in five districts of Punjab and three districts of Sindh, with south Punjab identified as a key area for strengthening agricultural resilience.

The initiative, titled Transforming the Indus basin with climate resilient agriculture and water management, is funded by the Green Climate Fund and co-financed by the governments of Punjab and Sindh. According to the Green Climate Fund, the project is expected to directly benefit 1.3 million people and indirectly reach 16 million more. Its stated objective is to improve the resilience of vulnerable farmers in the Indus basin while also enhancing institutional capacity for climate adaptation.

As part of the programme, FAO, in collaboration with the Pakistan Meteorological Department, has installed 24 automatic weather stations, including 15 in Punjab and nine in Sindh. To make use of this expanded network, the organisation is working with the meteorological department on impact-based weather forecasting for Rabi and Kharif crops. The system has already been designed, launched and circulated for the Rabi 2025-26 wheat crop.

Workshop held in Multan for cotton and rice advisories

To prepare impact-based forecasts for the Kharif 2026 cotton and rice crops, an adaptation workshop was held in Multan on June 17 and 18. The session brought together representatives from FAO, the Pakistan Meteorological Department, the Department of On-Farm Water Management, agriculture extension and research departments, civil society organisations, the Farms and Training Department, academia, and members of the farming community from five project districts in Punjab.

The workshop aimed to develop a common approach for turning weather and climate information into practical, crop-specific guidance for farmers. Its agenda included reviewing the principles of impact-based forecasting, assessing completed impact tables for cotton and rice, identifying key thresholds and decision points, testing pilot products through different scenarios, and agreeing on arrangements for forecast verification and dissemination.

Participants also worked through technical sessions and group exercises focused on adaptation strategies for cotton and rice at different crop stages under three major climate risks: extreme rainfall, low rainfall or water stress, and extreme temperature. The workshop also incorporated the indigenous knowledge and lived experience of farmers and local stakeholders so that the resulting advisories would be both technically sound and locally relevant for farming communities in south Punjab.

"This workshop is an important step in translating climate information into practical action for farmers. FAO is working with provincial institutions and technical partners to ensure that weather and climate information reaches communities in a form that they can use, at the right time, for the right crop, and with guidance that supports climate-resilient agriculture and better water management. For cotton and rice farmers in south Punjab, this means stronger preparedness, better decisions and greater resilience in the face of climate variability," FAO Punjab head Emelda Berejena said.

Pakistan Meteorological Department Chief Meteorologist Dr Zaheeruddin Baber said the forecasting model is intended to focus on likely impacts rather than only weather conditions.

"The impact-based forecasting is about moving beyond the question of what the weather will be, to what the weather will do. Through this collaboration, PMD is helping to tailor forecasts and advisories around the actual risks faced by cotton and rice farmers at different crop stages," he said.

Director Crop Reporting Service at the Agriculture Department Dr Muhammad Muneer said the climate-resilient farming practices being tested under the FAO initiative were delivering strong outcomes. "The adoption of climate-resilient agricultural practices being trialed under FAO’s initiative are producing remarkable results, increasing yield of crops using less resources," he said.