In a highly competitive process under the National Research Program for Universities (NRPU) 2025–26 of the Higher Education Commission, only 149 projects were selected out of 6,926 submissions nationwide. Among the successful proposals, a research grant of PKR 8.159 million has been secured by Dr. Hussain Ali, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan.

The project, titled “Strengthening Gender-Responsive Disaster Risk Reduction and Management: Addressing Women’s Vulnerability to Flood Disasters in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” aims to investigate the gendered dimensions of flood disasters and propose inclusive, evidence-based strategies for disaster risk reduction and management.

Dr. Qaiser Khalid Mahmood, Assistant Professor at the Department of Gender Studies, University of the Punjab, Lahore, is serving as the Lead Researcher and collaborator.

The initiative also provides a significant opportunity for inter-provincial partnership and collaboration between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. It is expected to strengthen climate change adaptation policies through a proactive, gender-responsive approach, while contributing to improved coordination, knowledge sharing, and policy development across both provinces.