GILGIT: Canada has launched two major initiatives worth a combined CAD $35 million to strengthen climate resilience, restore livelihoods and improve healthcare services in vulnerable communities, especially in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral.
Canadian High Commissioner to Pakistan Tarik Ali Khan on Wednesday launched the $15 million Recovery and Climate Resilience in Flood-Affected Areas of Pakistan (RENEW) project, to be implemented by the Aga Khan Foundation.
First announced during Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand’s visit to Pakistan in July 2026, the project will support vulnerable mountain and coastal communities in Gilgit-Baltistan, Chitral and Sindh’s Thatta and Badin districts in recovering from seasonal floods.
It aims to improve disaster preparedness and strengthen long-term resilience to climate change and other future shocks, with particular attention to women and girls.
The project will rehabilitate damaged irrigation systems, reclaim agricultural land, and provide seeds, tools and livestock to help restore agricultural productivity and improve food security. It will also promote climate-smart and organic farming practices.
Other interventions include enterprise development, vocational training and support for youth- and women-led businesses through the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme’s START-Apna Karobar initiative.
The high commissioner also announced a CAD $50,000 assistance initiative under the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, in partnership with the Aga Khan Foundation, Pakistan, and FOCUS Humanitarian Assistance, Pakistan.
The initiative will provide food assistance and essential winter supplies to 123 disaster-affected households in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral. It is intended to help women, girls, children, older people and persons with disabilities meet immediate needs and reduce their exposure to cold-related risks while longer-term recovery efforts continue.
During his visit to Shigar, Mr Khan also launched Sehat Ka Safar at a rural health centre. The CAD $20 million multi-year initiative, announced earlier by Ms Anand, will be implemented by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Aga Khan Foundation, Pakistan.
It will invest in reproductive, maternal and adolescent healthcare services in underserved districts of the country.
Speaking at the launch, Mr Khan said Canada had been a longstanding partner of Pakistan during crises, adding that climate change and recent floods had left millions facing damaged infrastructure, lost livelihoods and growing climate risks.
“Together, we are investing to support these communities recover and build back better,” he said.
Jamil Uddin, general manager of the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme, said RENEW built on the longstanding partnership between Global Affairs Canada and the Aga Khan Foundation, drawing on the expertise of the Aga Khan Development Network and its partners.
He said the project was expected to reach 690,000 people in 14 flood-affected districts by strengthening essential services and livelihoods and promoting locally led solutions, particularly for women and girls.
UNFPA Deputy Representative Dr Gulnara Kydyrkulova said the organisation was pleased to continue its partnership with Canada and the Aga Khan Foundation and work with the government to improve the lives of women, girls and children in Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh.
She said Sehat Ka Safar would help expand access to quality healthcare and education and empower families, particularly women and girls, to make informed decisions about their health and future.
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