In November 2005 the Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) of the United Nations provided the initial assessment
of earthquake damage to the agricultural sector in
the earthquake-affected areas of NWFP and PAK. The
report contained detailed information regarding damage
and losses to crops, irrigation and livestock as well
as providing key guiding principles and strategies
for the rehabilitation of these sub-sectors. FAO also
completed an analysis of livestock production systems,
including an assessment on animal feed supply and
demand of the earthquake-affected areas. The information
in the report enabled FAO to assist the Ministry Food,
Agriculture and Livestock (MINFAL) line departments
and ERRA to develop programs to restore livestock
production.
In
addition to the assessment, within days following
the earthquake FAO provided 200 MT of wheat seeds
to restore rabi wheat production for 4,000 households
in Battagram, Mansehra and Bagh districts; covering
an area of 1,600 hectares.
Helping
to Re-build Livelihoods
On the 17th of January 2007, the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the Government
of Sweden signed an agreement for the funding and
implementation of a “Project to Assist Earthquake
Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA)
and its Implementing Partners in Restoring Livelihoods
in the Earthquake- Affected Areas of Pakistan.”
FAO provided technical assistance to ERRA in the formulation
of it“Livelihood Rehabilitation Strategy”,
which included three stakeholder workshops held in
Islamabad, Mansehra and Muzaffarabad. The workshops
and subsequent meetings of working groups provided
a consensus for the development of the strategy. The
total contribution to the Project from the Government
of Sweden is US $ 6.5 million.
Key
outcomes of the Project will include;
•
Capacity building within ERRA, enabling it to implement
its Livelihood Rehabilitation Strategy
•
Strengthening implementing partners of ERRA, enabling
them provide efficient and effective rural support
services to earthquake affected areas under the Strategy
and beyond the three year lifetime of ERRA
•
Introducing stakeholders of selected hillsides degraded
by deforestation, over-grazing, soil erosion and landslips
to adopt the integrated and collaborative watershed
management approaches to environmental protection
and poverty reduction
The
Project will also strengthen the capacity of ERRA
and its implementing partners to address cross-cutting
themes such as gender mainstreaming, protection and
promotion of nutrition, and disaster risk reduction
in the execution of their livelihood rehabilitation
interventions.
