ISLAMABAD: HBL Microfinance Bank (HBL MfB), in partnership with the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), has expanded its Climate-Smart Agri-Financing initiative across Punjab.
The initiative aims to transform agricultural finance through satellite data and technology-based risk assessment.
The expansion marks a shift from the pilot phase to province-wide implementation. Punjab is a key focus because of its major role in Pakistan’s agricultural economy.
Initiative Uses Satellite Data
The initiative combines SUPARCO’s satellite-based remote sensing with HBL MfB’s field network and agricultural financing expertise.
The bank will use satellite data, crop monitoring and remote-sensing analytics on a wider scale.
This technology will provide better information about land use and crop conditions. It will also help the bank assess agricultural risks more effectively.
As a result, HBL MfB aims to strengthen the resilience of its agriculture financing portfolio.
HBL MfB Highlights Climate Risks
HBL Microfinance Bank President and CEO Amir Khan said farmers were facing growing risks from climate change.
“Pakistan’s farmers are at the frontline of climate change,” he said.
Khan highlighted unpredictable weather and water stress as major threats to farmers’ livelihoods.
He said these risks also posed challenges to the country’s food security.
According to Khan, the partnership will bring satellite intelligence into agricultural financing.
He said this would help the bank better understand conditions on the ground.
The technology will also support more informed and timely financing decisions.
Khan described the partnership as a model for combining technology, finance and national institutions.
SUPARCO to Provide Climate Intelligence
SUPARCO Member Space Application and Research Wing Zafar Iqbal said the organisation had decades of experience in agricultural monitoring through satellite technology.
He said SUPARCO had 35 years of spatial data archives and analytical outputs.
The organisation has also developed machine learning and deep learning models. These models generate agricultural insights through a Geo-AI-enabled computational platform.
Furthermore, SUPARCO’s Space4Climate initiative provides risk assessments for major climate hazards.
These include floods, droughts and hailstorms.
Technology to Support Agri-Lending
SUPARCO has developed an analytical engine to support HBL MfB’s agricultural lending system.
The system will help improve lending decisions and farm-level risk assessments.
It will also support monitoring after loans are issued.
According to SUPARCO, combining agricultural data with climate-risk intelligence can help create a more informed lending process.
Moreover, SUPARCO will provide public access to agricultural intelligence through its Space4Climate portal.
The platform will support wider awareness and help improve climate resilience across Pakistan’s agricultural sector.
Focus on Climate-Resilient Agriculture
Through the partnership, satellite data will complement HBL MfB’s extensive field presence.
The two organisations aim to improve agronomic assessments and strengthen agricultural financing.
The initiative is designed around better information, responsible lending and greater resilience.
It also represents a technology-driven approach to managing the growing risks facing Pakistan’s farmers.
