Italian Agency for Development Coopertation (AICS).

The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) Islamabad office undertakes several multi-sectoral activities in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Agency strives to align Italy with its European and global partners in its respective development endeavors. The AICS model complies with the need for more innovative forms of cooperation involving the methodological flexibility necessary in a continuously evolving scenario. AICS has many flagship programs and projects that target a holistic set of objectives to create research-education-labour linkages for effective cooperation. In particular, the development cooperation action seeks to improve resilience and adaptation to climate change and foster the preservation of natural and cultural heritage.

Due to the ongoing climatic changes and natural disasters, it is ever more imperative to invest in ways that ensure climate change mitigation and adaptation. 'Glaciers and Students' is one such unique project that aims at supporting environmental monitoring and natural resource management at the Central Karakorum National Park and the Deosai National Park. Its activities are contributing to improving risk assessment dealing in particular with GLOFs and hydrogeological hazards, thanks to the application of remote sensing, GIS techniques, and a dedicated web information system. There is also the active engagement of Pakistani universities in the field activities through rigorous training and capacity-building program in the much-needed areas of glaciology monitoring and remote sensing analysis. This shall provide the appropriate tools to ensure long-term research goals and a scientific and transparent data communication mechanism.

Environmental projects of AICS in northern Pakistan are also valuable towards safeguarding the...