Canada Gives $35m for Pakistan Climate Resilience
Canada has launched two development initiatives worth CAD $35 million to support Pakistan climate resilience and health care, with the money aimed at flood-hit communities in Gilgit-Baltistan, Chitral and Sindh.
The initiatives were launched by Canada’s High Commissioner to Pakistan, Tarik Ali Khan, during his visit to Gilgit-Baltistan this week. The Aga Khan Foundation and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will deliver the work on the ground.
The package pairs a CAD $15 million flood recovery and climate resilience project with a CAD $20 million multi-year health programme. Both were first announced during Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand’s visit to Pakistan in July 2026.
Flood recovery first: the RENEW project
The larger climate project is called RENEW, short for Recovery and Climate Resilience in Flood-Affected Areas of Pakistan. The Aga Khan Foundation will run it from 2025 to 2028, reaching about 690,000 people across 14 flood-affected districts.
The work will focus on mountain communities in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral, and Sindh’s coastal districts, Thatta and Badin. Teams will repair damaged irrigation systems and reclaim farmland so families can grow food. They will also supply seeds, tools and livestock, and promote climate-smart and organic farming.
“RENEW will reach 690,000 people across 14 flood-affected districts, strengthening essential services and livelihoods while promoting locally led solutions, particularly for women and girls,” the High Commissioner said at the launch.
Sehat Ka Safar: health care in far-flung districts
The second initiative, Sehat Ka Safar, is a CAD $20 million multi-year programme for reproductive, maternal and adolescent health. UNFPA and Aga Khan Foundation Pakistan will deliver it in underserved districts.
The High Commissioner launched it at a rural health centre in Shigar. Dr Gulnara Kydyrkulova, Deputy Representative of UNFPA, said the fund was pleased to continue its partnership with Canada and the Aga Khan Foundation for women, girls and children in Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh.
Winter aid for 123 households
Alongside the two big programmes, Canada announced CAD $50,000 in emergency aid through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives. The money will buy food and essential winter supplies for 123 disaster-affected households in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral.
The Aga Khan Foundation and FOCUS Humanitarian Assistance Pakistan will deliver the aid. It is aimed at women, children, senior citizens and people with disabilities, who face the sharpest winter risks.
What the funding means for Pakistan climate resilience
Pakistan is among the countries most exposed to climate shocks. The Aga Khan Foundation ranks it seventh most vulnerable to long-term climate risks and eighth most affected by climate change. The floods of 2022 showed the scale of the threat, and the monsoon season of 2025 brought fresh damage to the north, with flash floods, debris flows and glacial lake outburst floods in Gilgit-Baltistan.
That risk reaches well beyond the mountains. Warming in the Swat basin is already raising glacier risks for communities downstream, while climate finance is now reaching women farmers who bear much of the cost when crops fail. In Sindh, a monsoon rainfall deficit this year has added to the pressure on farm districts, and the province has held a dedicated climate conference to plan its response.
Canada is not the only partner moving in. A €54.24 million European Union-backed project launched in Gilgit-Baltistan in September 2026 will bring clean water, renewable energy and climate-resilient housing to more than 325,600 people in remote areas.
The new funding targets the households that floods hit first and hardest.
The Aga Khan Foundation says more detail on the RENEW project is available through its flood recovery programme page. The launch was first reported by APP on Thursday.
Frequently asked questions
What is the RENEW project?
RENEW stands for Recovery and Climate Resilience in Flood-Affected Areas of Pakistan. It is a CAD $15 million project run by the Aga Khan Foundation from 2025 to 2028, reaching about 690,000 people across 14 flood-affected districts.
How much is Canada giving Pakistan?
CAD $35 million in total: CAD $15 million for flood recovery and climate resilience, CAD $20 million for the Sehat Ka Safar health programme, plus CAD $50,000 in emergency winter aid.
Who will deliver the projects?
The Aga Khan Foundation will run the RENEW climate project. UNFPA and Aga Khan Foundation Pakistan will deliver the Sehat Ka Safar health programme. The emergency winter aid will go through the Aga Khan Foundation and FOCUS Humanitarian Assistance Pakistan.
Which districts will benefit?
Gilgit-Baltistan, Chitral and Sindh’s Thatta and Badin, with the health programme reaching underserved districts across Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh.
What is Sehat Ka Safar?
Sehat Ka Safar is a CAD $20 million multi-year initiative to improve reproductive, maternal and adolescent health services in underserved districts of Pakistan. It was launched at a rural health centre in Shigar.
