ISLAMABAD: As part of the programme agreed with Pakistan to respond to the massive floods that hit the country last summer and build it climate-resilient, the World Bank’s (WB) Board of Executive Directors approved 213 million dollars in financing to improve essential services and livelihoods as well as enhance risk protection in communities severely affected by the floods, with a special focus on Balochistan.
World Bank Country Director for Pakistan Najy Benhassine said in a statement that the WB would be working closely with Balochistan government to support the flood-hit communities by giving livelihood support and rehabilitating flood protection and irrigation infrastructures.
He said that this would help restore livelihoods and protect the communities by improving their resilience to possible future climate-related calamaties and natural disasters.
The Integrated Flood Resilience and Adaptation Project would offer housing reconstruction grants to nearly 35,100 homeowners to reconstruct their homes following climate-resilience standards and livelihood grants to poor farmers to help livestock, support climate-smart agriculture and other activities.
World Bank’s program to help restore essential services
It would also help restore necessary services by reconstructing damaged infrastructure and facilities like water supply, roads, irrigation, and community facilities.
World Bank’s Senior Water Specialist Yoro Sidibe said that Balochistan is especially vulnerable to natural calamities due to its socioeconomic background, geographical location, and climate change.
He said that this project would assist provide financial opportunities to the affected populations while ensuring social participation and inclusion. It would also increase institutional capacity in terms of readiness and response to future calamities.
The project would benefit about 2.7 million people in selected communities in disaster-declared districts across the province. It would mitigate flood risks by enhancing early warning systems and resilient protection infrastructure.
It would also be ensured that women have easy access to this system and disaster risk matigation information. IFRAP will repair degraded watersheds and enhance institutional capacity at both the local level and provincial level.
