KARACHI: 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 to farmers across Punjab, using satellite data and remote-sensing technology to support agricultural lending and risk assessment.
The expansion moves the initiative from a pilot phase to province-wide implementation in Punjab, Pakistan’s key agricultural region. The collaboration combines SUPARCO’s satellite-based agricultural monitoring capabilities with HBL Microfinance Bank’s field network and agricultural financing expertise.
Satellite Data to Support Farm-Level Risk Assessment
Under the expanded initiative, HBL MfB will use satellite data, crop monitoring and remote-sensing analytics to gain a more detailed understanding of land use and crop conditions.
The technology is expected to support more informed assessments of agricultural risks and strengthen the resilience of the bank’s agriculture financing portfolio.
HBL Microfinance Bank President and CEO Amir Khan said farmers are increasingly exposed to unpredictable weather, water stress and other climate-related risks that affect their livelihoods and food security.
He said the partnership with SUPARCO would help integrate satellite intelligence into agricultural financing decisions, allowing the bank to better assess conditions on the ground and align financing with farmers’ needs.
SUPARCO Brings Geo-AI and Climate Intelligence
Zafar Iqbal, Member of SUPARCO’s Space Application and Research Wing, said the organization has 35 years of spatial data archives and experience in agricultural monitoring through satellite technology.
According to SUPARCO, it has developed machine-learning and deep-learning models through a Geo-AI-enabled computational platform to generate agricultural insights. Its Space4Climate initiative also provides probabilistic risk assessments for climate-related hazards including floods, droughts and hailstorms.
These capabilities are being integrated into an analytical engine designed to support HBL MfB’s agricultural lending system through farm-level risk assessment, lending decisions and post-loan monitoring.
Focus on Climate-Resilient Agriculture
The collaboration is intended to combine SUPARCO’s satellite and remote-sensing capabilities with HBL Microfinance Bank’s field presence to improve agricultural assessments and financing.
SUPARCO also plans to make agricultural intelligence available to the public through its Space4Climate portal, with the aim of supporting wider awareness of agricultural and climate-related risks.
The initiative represents an effort to use satellite intelligence, financial services and climate-risk data to develop a more data-driven and climate-resilient approach to agricultural financing in Punjab.