Deputy Commissioner Shigar has officially notified the Knowledge Hub for District Shigar, marking the establishment of a multi-stakeholder platform to discuss and address ground-level challenges in agriculture, livestock, fisheries, and natural resource management.
According to the official notification, the committee includes senior representatives from Agriculture, Livestock & Dairy Development, Water Management and Irrigation, Local Government and Rural Development, Fisheries, GB-EPA, and DDMA, in addition to AKRSP, AKAH, GBRSP, WWF, Baltistan University, and the Chairman of LSO Markunja.
The initiative was formally formed during a workshop organised by the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) Baltistan under the FCDO-funded BRAVE-II project at a local hotel in Shigar.
The workshop was facilitated by Mr. Shafqatullah from Concern Worldwide and attended by key government officials, representatives of the district administration and civil society organisations.
The Knowledge Hub has been conceived as a district-level collaborative body, bringing together government institutions, academia, civil society organisations, and farmers to share knowledge, promote research and innovation, and co-develop farmer field school curricula. Its mandate includes strengthening inter-departmental coordination, documenting local challenges, and fostering community-driven practices to advance Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) and Nature-Based Solutions (NBS).
Speaking at the event, Assistant Commissioner Shigar Mr. Faisal Hayat Gondal highlighted the district’s agricultural and geographical potential as well as the vulnerabilities faced by local communities. He stressed the importance of adopting climate-smart and nature-based approaches to enhance resilience and ensure long-term sustainability.
During the group discussions, participants identified priority areas for the Hub, including the development of farmer field school curricula, applied research on local agricultural and livestock practices, and solutions to field-level challenges through CSA and NBS.
