Partnership with UNDP to be strengthened: Afridi
By Ali Imran

ISLAMABAD—Federal Minister for Environment Hameed ullah Jan Afridi Tuesday said partnership with United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) would be further strengthened for redressing environmental issues in line with national priorities.
He expressed these view while talking to a delegation of UNDP led by country Director Alvaro Rodriguez which called on him here.
The delegation apprised the Minster about various on-going environmental project being executed in the country with the assistance of UNDP.
These projects include Protection and Management of Pakistan Wetland Project at a cost of US dollar 11,792,000.00 and Mountain Area Conservancy Project (MACP) at a cost of US dollar 10,350,000.
The Wet Lands Project aims to promote sustainable conservation of freshwater and marine wetlands and biodiversity in Pakistan. The objective of Mountain Areas Conservancy project is to mitigate threats to biological diversity in the Northern Himalaya, Karakoram and Hindu Kush ranges of Northern Areas of the country.
The Minister was also apprised that Phase-I of the Sustainable Land Management Project with the aim to combat desertification in Pakistan has recently been launched at a cost of US dollar 46, 00,000. The delegation informed that UNDP intends to initiate new projects which include Reducing Pressure on Forest Resources and CO2 Emissions through Provision and Promotion of Energy Efficient Housing Technologies (PEECH) at an estimated cost of US dollar 4 million and Productive use of Renewable Energy at an estimated cost of US dollar 5.625 million.
The Minister assured the delegation that transparency in utilization of funds would be ensured to the entire satisfaction of UNDP management.