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Pakistan
Global Programme on Sustainability
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
The programme supports sustainable economic growth that is both long-lasting and resilient to climate-related stressors. It does this through the integration of natural capital into decision making by governments, the private sector and financial institutions. The inability to value natural capital can undermine long-term growth and critically, the livelihoods of the poorest people dependent on ecosystems for their livelihoods. This programme directly addresses this challenge by (i) investing in data and research on natural capital; (ii) assisting countries to integrate this analysis into government policy making; and (iii) integrating this data and analysis into financial sector decision making.
Darwin Initiative
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
The Darwin Initiative is the UK’s flagship international challenge fund for biodiversity conversation and poverty reduction, established at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. The Darwin Initiative is a grant scheme working on projects that aim to slow, halt, or reverse the rates of biodiversity loss and degradation, with associated reductions in multidimensional poverty. To date, the Darwin Initiative has awarded more than £195m to over 1,280 projects in 159 countries to enhance the capability and capacity of national and local stakeholders to deliver biodiversity conservation and multidimensional poverty reduction outcomes in low and middle-income countries. More information at https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/the-darwin-initiative. This page contains information about Rounds 27 onwards. For information about Rounds 1 to 26, please see the Darwin Initiative website -https://www.darwininitiative.org.uk/
Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
Illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is a widespread and lucrative criminal activity causing major global environmental and social harm. The IWT has been estimated to be worth up to £17 billion a year. Nearly 6,000 different species of fauna and flora are impacted, with almost every country in the world playing a role in the illicit trade. The UK government is committed to tackling illegal trade of wildlife products and is a long-standing leader in efforts to eradicate the IWT. Defra manages the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, which is a competitive grants scheme with the objective of tackling IWT and, in doing so, contributing to sustainable development in developing countries. Projects funded under the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund address one, or more, of the following themes: • Developing sustainable livelihoods to benefit people directly affected by IWT, • Strengthening law enforcement, • Ensuring effective legal frameworks, • Reducing demand for IWT products. By 2023 over £51 million has been committed to 157 projects since the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund was established in 2013. This page contains information about Rounds 7 onwards. For information about Rounds 1 to 6, please see the IWTCF website -https://iwt.challengefund.org.uk/
Super-efficient Sustainable Cooling Solution for All Applications (S2Cool)
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Context In June 2023, Pakistan experienced extreme temperatures exceeding 52.2°C, a level at which human cells begin to cook, blood thickens, muscles constrict around the lungs, and the brain is deprived of oxygen. This severe heatwave resulted in the death of 120,000 people, the loss of 26 billion potential labour hours (equivalent to $16 billion in lost income), and up to 9% of the country's GDP. The extreme heat, coupled with frequent power outages, worsened the vulnerabilities of socially deprived communities and women, leading to increased hospitalizations and miscarriages, as reported by the UNDP and the National Commission for the Status of Women (NCSW). Dinushika Dissanayake, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director in South Asia, called for urgent global action as these heatwaves severely impacted human rights in Pakistan. Co-creation & Co-designing In response to the crisis, the Pakistan Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning, and Refrigeration Society organized the 28th International Exhibition and Conference in June 2023. A working group led by Dr. Shahzad, consisting of researchers, stakeholders, and end users, was established to identify the issue and develop potential solutions. The group held its third meeting in December 2023 at the ASHRAE UK Chapter conference at Loughborough, where UK researchers and solution providers were invited to join this international effort. Currently, the working group includes over 50 representatives from Pakistani and UK institutions and industries. Aims and Objectives The S2Cool project represents a pioneering collaboration between the UK and partners in Pakistan. The primary aim is to develop a novel, low-cost, and energy-efficient cooling solution and capacity building platform. The primary objectives of the S2Cool project are: Design and Development: Develop and test the 20kW Novel Indirect Evaporative Cooler (NIEC) and its integration with Mechanical Vapor Compression (MVC) systems. AI Framework Development: Develop and implement an AI framework for process optimization and system integration. GESI and EDI Evaluations: Conduct GESI and EDI assessments to ensure equitable benefits for all community members. Performance and Impact Assessment: Assess performance through life cycle costing, and evaluate social, economic, and sustainability impacts. Technology Scale-up and Commercialization: Establish a framework for technology scaling and commercialization. Capacity Building Platform and Knowledge Dissemination: Develop online platform, conduct training and community engagement sessions, and share knowledge and findings. Potential Applications and Benefits The proposed system is versatile, applicable in residential, commercial, industrial, and vehicular settings, including buses. Its benefits include improved comfort, health, productivity, energy efficiency, and equipment preservation. This project will primarily advance UNSDGs 7 and 13, while also supporting goals 3, 5, 9, and 11 by reducing energy use in air conditioning and lowering emissions to combat climate change and address energy inequity in Pakistan. Ayrton Challenge and Theme The S2Cool project addresses the Ayrton Challenge area of "super-efficient demand." The project aims to develop a cooling solution that is highly energy-efficient, making it suitable for a country with limited energy resources and high electricity costs. ODA Compliance The S2Cool project is compliant with Official Development Assistance (ODA) guidelines, targeting a critical development issue in Pakistan, a low-income country. The project aims to improve living conditions, enhance productivity, and contribute to economic development by providing an affordable and energy-efficient cooling solution. By addressing the impacts of extreme heatwaves and supporting sustainable development goals, the project aligns with ODA objectives of poverty reduction and sustainable development in developing countries.
Pakistan Economic Corridors Programme
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
Improved transport infrastructure in Pakistan along with enhanced private sector involvement in infrastructure financing, road safety interventions and support to regulatory environment, leading to increased trade and economic growth in Pakistan
Aawaz II - Inclusion, Accountability and Preventing Modern Slavery Programme
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
To support a Pakistani society and government institutions that support increased voice, choice and control for marginalised groups, protect them from exploitation and prevent discrimination and intolerance at all levels. The programme has a focus on child labour, gender-based violence, child and force marriages, and intolerance against minorities and other socially excluded groups.
Sub-National Governance Programme -II (SNG-II)
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
SNG-II supports improved public financial management to enhance basic service delivery for the poorest and most vulnerable populations, including women, girls, and persons with disabilities. It also aims to strengthen citizen perceptions of government performance. The programme operates across four thematic areas: Planning and Reform Budgeting and Transparency Fiscal Space Innovations Implementation spans the federal level and the provinces of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and Sindh.
Climate Action for a Resilient Asia
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
A Technical Assistance facility will build capacity of national and subnational governments and vulnerable communities to integrate climate resilience into government-wide policy and planning and also work with the private sector, banks and financial regulators to support the integration of climate-related risks into investment decisions. A portion of the programme budget will be earmarked for coordinated policy work and regional cooperation in specific sectors or themes which require a regional approach where we have existing successful regional partnerships which can be scaled up, and or there is demand from country offices for a multi-country approach. Enable management of the programme including monitoring and evaluation, research, knowledge dissemination, communication, advisory support to country offices if required.
Delivering Accelerated Family Planning in Pakistan (DAFPAK)
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
To increase access in Pakistan to qualtiy family planning information and services by those who would like to use it, particualrly underserved groups such as rural women. It will directly contribute to Sustainable Development Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being, as well as to the FP2020 target of reaching additional users of family planning.
The Evidence Fund - 300708
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
The Evidence Fund procures and manages research and evaluations that primarily benefit ODA eligible countries. Most research and evaluations paid for by the Evidence Fund are country-specific, and all respond to requests for evidence to inform programme or policy decisions. Primarily serving research requests from HMG’s Embassies and High Commissions in ODA eligible countries, and from HMG policy and strategy teams, the Evidence Fund strengthens the evidence behind the UK’s priority international development investments and development diplomacy. The Evidence Fund also invests modest amounts of non-ODA, to strengthen the evidence behind wider UK foreign policy.
Evidence for Health - E4H
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
This programme builds on earlier UK investments in Pakistan. It will strengthen the ability of Pakistan’s health system to recover from COVID-19 pandemic as well as building resilience for future pandemics. It will strengthen evidence-based decision making in the health sector and support the implementation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and build climate resilient health systems including for vulnerable communities. It will focus technical assistance on the provincial governments of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), with support for the Federal government as well support flood recovery.
Building Resilience and Addressing Vulnerability to Emergencies (BRAVE)
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
BRAVE aims to strengthen community resilience to climate change and enhance the capacity of government institutions to deliver climate-resilient, inclusive, and shock-responsive services. The programme prioritises the needs of those most vulnerable to climate-related emergencies particularly women and girls, who face disproportionate risks by ensuring interventions are gender-sensitive and informed by robust analysis, including sex- and age-disaggregated data.
Data and Research in Education (DARE) programme
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
This programme will address key constraints in Pakistan's education system to enable quality education for all children, particularly for girls and those marginalised by location, ethnicity, religion and disability. On the one hand it will work with the state to the strengthen the education data system. This is crucial for efficient and effective education service delivery by enabling better identification of need, allocation of resources and measurement of progress - particularly for girls. On the other hand, the programme will work with civil society to promote innovative solutions to the challenges identified through better data, and expose these to rigorous research to build evidence on what works.
Water Resource Accountability in Pakistan (WRAP)
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
To improve water governance and management issues in Pakistan to be able to adapt to changing climate while ensuring environmental sustainability, with a focus on collaboration and engagement with provinces, research and media engagement.
Revenue Mobilisation, Investment and Trade Programme - ReMIT
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
The programme, through provision of high quality technical assistance, aims to support Pakistan to implement reforms that lock in macroeconomic stability and improve conditions for high and sustained growth, mutual prosperity, job creation and poverty reduction. The TA will be provided to; • Strengthen tax revenue mobilisation, helping to raise Pakistan’s tax to GDP ratio from 13 percent to 18 percent by increasing the number of tax payers; • Address the investment environment challenges faced by local and UK businesses, moving Pakistan towards being one of the top 50 countries to do business in; • Facilitate trade and drive competitiveness, addressing barriers to trade in order to reduce Pakistan's trade deficit; • Modernise macroeconomic policy making and implementation process.
Sustainable Energy and Economic Development (SEED) Programme
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
To support provincial economic development and sustainable energy in Pakistan. The programme objective is to address two binding constraints to economic and urban development in Pakistan: weak planning; and energy. The programme aims • To support Pakistan's poorest province, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to plan and finance the infrastructure and investment it needs for growth, jobs and prosperity. • To address Pakistan’s energy crisis by providing innovative financial solutions to industry for the adoption of sustainable energy practices. The programme will also contribute to Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office International Climate Fund (ICF) obligations.
"Girls and Out of School Children: Action for Learning (GOAL)".
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
The Girls and Out of School Children: Action for Learning (GOAL) programme will support the Governments of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to improve education outcomes for girls and the most marginalised, directly contributing to FCDO’s global commitments to girls’ education on access and learning.
Climate Investment Fund for Pakistan (CIFPAK)
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
CIFPAK will mobilise private climate finance to support Pakistan’s green growth and climate resilience ambitions. Currently the 8th most climate vulnerable country in the world, the World Bank estimates that Pakistan will require US$348 billion of investment to become climate resilient and make the transition to a low-carbon economy by 2030. CIFPAK aims to crowd in private climate finance using a blended finance approach (public/private, concessional/non-concessional), supported by targeted technical assistance. It will have a specific focus on mobilising private investment for climate adaptation. The programme will support delivery of Pakistan’s National Adaptation Plan and also aims to deepen Pakistan’s capital markets. Programme’s approved budget is £108m (£70m fiscal CDEL and £38m RDEL) over seven years (April 2024 – March 2031).
NGP - National Governance Programme
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
The National Governance Programme (NGP) supports Pakistan’s institutional reform agenda by strengthening whole-of-government coordination across federal and provincial levels. It combines technical assistance with politically informed approaches to improve decision-making, implementation, and accountability on priority reforms. The programme has expanded to include a Politics of Delivery (PoD) Facility, which provides rapid, demand-led technical and analytical support, delivery roadmaps, and politically smart approaches (including coalitions for change) to unlock reform challenges. Together, these components strengthen government capability to plan ahead, manage risks, and deliver sustained institutional change.
What Works to Prevent Violence: Impact at Scale
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
This programme will reduce violence against women and girls globally through innovative project delivery, taking successful interventions to scale, and using evidence to influence others to programme at scale.