960411

Accord signed

Rs 1110Rs 1110m EU

m EU

grant for NWFP,

Punjab projects

ISLAMABAD: The European Union will provide a grant of Rs.1110 million for the Environmental Rehabilitation projects in NWFP and Punjab.

A Financing Agreement to this effect was signed here on Thursday by Gaspard Dunkelsbuhler, head of delegation of European Union in Pakistan and Javed Talat, Secretary, Economic Affairs Division. The Ambassador Italy also attended the ceremony in his capacity as a representative of the Presidency of European Union.

The project to be implemented over a 7-year period, will focus on the three sub-project areas of Dir-Kohistan and Galiat in NWFP and Murree-Kahuta in Punjab.

The project will be based on the active involvement and participation of local communities in planning and managing the utilization of natural resources. Combined with other inputs, this will pave the way for sustainable rural socio- economic development in the project areas.

The project will be implemented by the Forestry Department of the Government of NWFP, the Murree-Kahuta Development Authority of the Government of Punjab, and the Pakistan branch of the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The management of activities at the sub-project level will be a joint responsibility of the concerned Provincial governments, IUCN and the European technical assistance.

EC funds will be used for social organization, natural resource conservation and rural development, human resource development, and physical infrastructure.-APP