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(REUTERS): A Pakistani project, which combines satellite images, mapping technologies, and the local knowledge of villagers to help build climate-proof settlements in disaster-prone areas of Pakistan, has won the World Habitat Awards 2020 Gold Award.
Over one million people have benefited from the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) Pakistan project. AKAH has trained about 50,000 residents to better protect their villages from disasters in the mountainous northern areas which are vulnerable to earthquakes, floods and environmental degradation.
In a statement, David Ireland, chief executive of World Habitat, a charity, said, “It’s not just responding to the effects of the climate emergency, but being proactive in protecting people from its effects, using technology and the knowledge of communities.”
“It provides communities with the knowledge of where and how to live in safety in a changing world. The potential for this approach to be adapted and used in similar areas in Pakistan and elsewhere is absolutely huge,” he added.
According to the World Bank, more than 2m people have been killed by natural disasters since 1980. Pakistan is among the most disaster-prone countries in South Asia and the remoteness of the northern mountainous areas makes response efforts difficult.
Launched in 2006, the AKAH project includes mapping and monitoring hazards using satellite images and drones, and creating disaster risk management plans with the involvement of local residents.
By combining local knowledge, community involvement and technology, the project develops resilient, sustainable communities capable of living in dignity amidst the threat of climate-induced disasters, said Leilani Farha, a former UN expert on housing.
