Duration: 2023-2028
Location: Gilgit-Baltistan (10 districts) and Chitral ( 2 districts)
Donor: European Union (EU)
Beneficiaries: +350,000 (171,500 women)
Implementing Partners: Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP), AKAH, NPak, Accelerate Prosperity (AP)
Project Description: Energy Plus is a five-year initiative led by the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) in collaboration with the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) and other AKDN agencies. Designed to foster a climate-resilient, low-carbon economy across Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral, the project focuses on enabling renewable energy transition, enhancing natural resource management, and strengthening sustainable development.
As part of Energy Plus, AKRSP is working to expand access to clean energy in remote and off-grid communities by constructing three new micro-hydropower plants (MHPs) and rehabilitating four existing plants damaged by the 2022 floods. These interventions will generate a combined 1.8 MW of renewable energy, supporting local livelihoods and reducing reliance on carbon-emitting fuels. In addition, AKRSP is establishing eight renewable energy-powered technological hubs in energy-surplus areas, offering digital skills development, entrepreneurship support, and high-speed internet access to approximately 10,000 young women and men, thereby promoting green economic opportunities.
In the area of natural resource management, AKRSP is rehabilitating and installing 48 irrigation systems, including renewable energy-powered water lifting pumps, to convert barren land into productive agricultural fields. These efforts are expected to benefit around 2,000 households and bring approximately 265 hectares of new land under irrigation, contributing to increased food security and fodder production. Complementing these efforts, a large-scale afforestation programme aims to plant about 2.6 million trees across 383 hectares, supporting ecosystem restoration, reducing deforestation, and enhancing climate resilience.
To promote sustainable development, AKRSP is building the capacity of community-based organisations (CBOs) and public sector stakeholders in sustainable energy and resource management. Through training, technical assistance, and community mobilisation, the project seeks to strengthen local governance systems, enhance community resilience, and foster inclusive, sustainable growth in some of Pakistan’s most environmentally vulnerable regions.