ISLAMABAD: The World Bank has approved $200 million for Pakistan to strengthen its capacity to deliver basic services and climate-resilient rural infrastructure in the newly merged tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, according to a statement released by the international financial institution on Wednesday.
Pakistan’s northwestern tribal districts are among its least developed regions, where people even lack basic livelihood opportunities. The area also suffered due to monsoon rains and unprecedented floods last year, which submerged about a third of the country’s landmass and resulted in losses of about $38 billion.
According to the details, the World Bank will adopt a multiphase programmatic approach and launch the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Investment and Institutional Support Project (KPRIISP) in the first phase. The project aims to increase access to resilient and reliable basic services for rural households in the area and facilitate citizen-driven service delivery. Additionally, it will rehabilitate infrastructure affected by the devastating floods last year.
“KPRIISP aims to address development gaps in rural areas that are among the poorest in the country, directly benefiting around 5.5 million people by extending public service delivery systems, investing in basic infrastructure like water supply and sanitation, and boosting agricultural productivity and livelihood opportunities,” said Najy Benhassine, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan.
“It will also support post-floods reconstruction and rehabilitation, while strengthening resilience to such climate-related shocks, particularly in the Newly Merged Districts of the Province,” he continued.
The statement added the project aimed to support emergency reconstruction and rehabilitation of flood protection infrastructure damaged by the 2022 floods. Infrastructure investments in water supply and sanitation, rural roads, agriculture, and irrigation will be done to strengthen climate resilience in the face of increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events in Pakistan.
“In addition to investments in critical infrastructure, this new project will provide conditional grants to village councils to finance local infrastructure priorities in line with community preferences and women’s priorities,” Anna O’Donnell, task team leader of the project, said. “It will also ensure that communities are involved in participatory planning, budgeting, monitoring, and improving social accountability systems, while focusing on institutional strengthening and capacity building of village councils.”
Pakistan has been a member of the World Bank since 1950 and has received $40 billion in assistance until now. The bank’s current portfolio includes 58 projects and a total commitment of $14.8 billion.
