Daily Times

The European Union (EU) on Thursday officially launched its contribution to the ongoing Adaptive Social Protection (ASP) project, implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

This partnership enables the project to expand its support to the Government of Sindh, with the key objective of strengthening the resilience of the population against natural hazards and climate change-related risks.

Additionally, it aims to improve the institutional, financial and technical conditions for implementing adaptive and gender-trans-formative social protection.

The launch event, held at Avari Hotel in Karachi, brought together high-ranking government officials, international organizations and civil society representatives to agree on the way forward.

At the event, Najam Ahmed Shah, Chairman of the Planning and Development Department, Government of Sindh, highlighted the commitment of Sindh to “advancing social protection and ensuring that vulnerable communities across Pakistan are better supported in times of crisis”. He also pointed out that by placing girls and women at the center of its work, the project on adaptive social protection helps to improve gender equity and support sustainable development across communities.

Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Pakistan Philip Gross remarked, “The European Union has always been a strong advocate for robust social protection systems that not only alleviate immediate suffering but also help create long-term, sustainable development.”

The event featured remarks from other key stakeholders, including Dr Ruediger Lotz, Consul General of Germany in Karachi, and Jeroen Williems, Head of Cooperation of the EU in Pakistan, as well as representatives from the Sindh Social Protection Authority (SSPA), Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), the Foreign Aid Planning and Development Department and the Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO).

The speakers agreed on the importance of adaptive social protection to strengthen resilience against socio-economic and environmental vulnerabilities.

The expanded project sets a benchmark in social protection across Pakistan. It aims to create dynamic systems capable of responding early enough to climate-induced and socio-economic vulnerabilities, thereby enhancing resilience at both national and local levels while promoting social cohesion and inclusive growth.