Main beneficiaries & outcomes
Main beneficiaries of the solution comprised local community members, organizations, and authorities in Northern Pakistan living in proximity to glacier lakes and glacier-fed rivers. Benefits were widely available and ranged from the reduced risk of natural disasters, increased sustainability, as well as raised awareness and knowledge on GLOFs.
Large efforts were made to include women in the project’s activities and to provide them with practical knowledge to safeguard them during disaster events. Local women participated in 107 awareness workshops and were represented in the village Disaster Risk Management (DRM) committees. However, due to work and cultural barriers, women were not considered in other activities like the implementation of early warning systems, repairing of the trail, construction of walls, bio-engineering, glacier monitoring, and training on rescue operations.
In addition, the project also conducted DRM training for the disabled population, and included capacity-building activities for disabled and elderly persons through the organization of GLOF awareness sessions, and by providing the necessary equipment to minimize risk during disasters.
Planning and implementation
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) functioned as the implementing agency. It was responsible for the completion of all activities including procurement, recruitment, progress monitoring, as well as financial disbursement.
To ensure broad stakeholder participation, and to create a flexible and enabling environment for innovation, the project was implemented following the National Implementation Modality. During the first steps of the solution planning, the development process involved various stakeholders including non-environmental agencies. Moreover, consultations were held with the then Ministry of Environment, the Global Change Impact Study Centre, and other pertinent government departments for discussing the project concept and select implementation sites. The communities from the Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral districts also took part in the consultations, with numerous community representatives (including women and disabled people) participating in the discussions.
To coordinate and manage project activities, a Project Management Unit was formed. This body assured the timely achievement of targets as well as adequate management, program planning, and reporting. Later, and to further involve the local population in the implementation of solutions and ensure the sustainability of interventions, the Community Based Disaster Management Committee, the District Emergency Response Cell, the Tehsil Emergency Response Cell, the Community Based Disaster Risk Committee, and several community-based hazard watch groups were formed. Finally, community members also participated in the development of structures and early warning systems which was expected to help for its continuity in the future.
Finance
The total budget for the project was US$ 7,600,000, of which US$ 3,600,000 was provided by the Adaptation Fund in the form of a grant, US$500,000 was contributed by the United Nations Development Programme Country Office (UNDP CO), and US$3,500,000 came from a kind contribution from the Government of Pakistan. Financial support and monitoring were also given by the UNDP CO throughout the duration of the project.
Quarterly project progress reports rendered useful information regarding the status of the solutions based on the financial disbursements.
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Amount
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Component 1
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US$ 100,000
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Component 2
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US$ 250,000
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Component 3
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US$ 2,790,000
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Component 4
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US$ 100,000
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Project execution cost
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US$ 360,000
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Total Grant Amount
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US$ 3,600,000
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Co-financing by Government of Pakistan
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US$ 3,500,000
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Co-financing by UNDP
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US$ 500,000
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TOTAL PROJECT COST
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US$7, 600, 000
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In a final evaluation (attached document), the project was considered extremely cost-effective given that it produced all of its planned deliverables within the original budget. At the end of the implementation of measures, only 87% of the total budget was employed, with an actual total cost of US$6,826,662.
Innovation
This Project demonstrated several innovative approaches, particularly regarding the involvement of community members in the establishment and management of early warning systems. In the terminal evaluation report (to be found in the attached documents at the end of the solution description), UNDP considered that such an innovative approach could be expanded within the region or replicated in other parts of the country. One of the most important aspects that allowed this innovative strategy was the securing of broad stakeholder participation.
Performance evaluation
Long term maintenance and sustainability
One of the main strategies used in the project to ensure the extended sustainability of the implemented measures was working directly through existing government structures. Rather than setting parallel implementation structures, the project worked directly with the Ministry of Climate Change. Furthermore, the capacity enhancement efforts, the commitment from government agencies, and the generation of policy backup also contributed to making the initiative more sustainable in the long term. Institutions of different levels and local communities were empowered thanks to improved experience and training, a well-equipped environment, effective ownership development, and increased engagement, participation, and motivation. In addition, the awareness-raising among community members had the intention to promote a better response to GLOFs and adaptation to the growing climate change pressures in the future.
In the initial steps of the planning process, the vulnerability of local communities in the northern areas of Pakistan was assessed based on GLOF hazard exposure. However, due to the expected limited scope of construction activities in the GLOF project, only initial environmental examinations were conducted. On the other hand, the solution took precautions to safeguard the installed equipment as according to the final project evaluation, apart from that, there were no other assumable environmental risks associated with the sustainability of the solution. Finally, by the end of the project, at least two Community-based Organizations were trained in the operation and maintenance of the early warning system to ensure its continued functionality. Moreover, the villages have a Morn system (traditional) which practices committing labour for repairing and maintenance of trails, irrigation canals, and other infrastructures.