ISLAMABAD: The United Nations (UN) World Food Program and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) have launched a $9.8 million project in Pakistan aimed at protecting flood-prone communities in its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistani state media reported on Tuesday.

Titled the “Integrated Climate Risk Management for Strengthened Resilience to Climate” project, the initiative aims to help flood-prone communities cope with extreme weather by installing early warning systems such as weather stations and river-level monitors.

Pakistan is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change and its 240 million residents are facing extreme weather events with increasing frequency.

In 2022, unprecedented monsoon floods submerged a third of Pakistan and killed 1,700 people, with some areas still recovering from the damage. This year, more than 110 people have been killed and over 200 injured in rain-related incidents across the country.

“The initiative funded by the GCF with $9.8 million will directly benefit 1.6 million people in Buner and Shangla districts of KP province, two areas highly vulnerable to climate shocks,” the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency reported on Tuesday.

The project will help improve coordination among government departments and enhance capacity of local authorities and emergency teams through targeted trainings and essential equipment, according to the report.

This will ensure timely and effective responses to climate-related emergencies and faster communication of alerts to communities at risk. People will be trained to interpret warnings issued by the weather systems to evacuate safely and take measures to protect their farms and homes before disasters strike.

“Recurring climate shocks are a driver of hunger and malnutrition, threatening lives, livelihoods and entire food systems,” WFP Pakistan Representative and Country Director Coco Ushiyama was quoted as saying.

“This project represents a multi-layered investment, not only in early warning systems and anticipatory action, but also in local adaptation planning and institutional capacity.”

The initiative supports the UN-backed GCF’s Strategic Plan 2024–2027 by addressing urgent adaptation needs in underserved areas, bridging critical capacity gaps in flood preparedness and strengthening community resilience.