WB approves $149.7m projects for flood-hit areas

ISLAMABAD: The World Bank (WB) has approved two projects of $149.7 million for flood affected areas of Pakistan. According to WB’s announcement, the Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved to support two projects for Pakistan. The Digital Economy Enhancement Project ($78 million) will support expansion of digitally enabled public services delivery for citizens and firms, while the second Additional Financing for Sindh Barrages Improvement Project ($71.7 million) will support better resilience to floods and improvements in the reliability, safety and management of three Sindh barrages.

“The catastrophic floods that hit Pakistan in 2022 were a tragic reminder of importance to build resilience to such disasters by strengthening barrages and their management,” said Najy Benhassine, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan. “Also, supporting the growing digital economy in Pakistan is key for economic and social development, broadening connectivity and access to government and financial services for citizens and entrepreneurs, particularly women.”

The Digital Economy Enhancement Project (DEEP) will develop digital authentication and data-sharing platforms to enable Pakistan to respond more effectively and efficiently to shocks, deliver better e-government services to citizens and firms and support regulatory reforms in the sector to enable greater private participation and strengthening personal data protection and online safety. The project will also promote financial inclusion by enabling women in particular, to open bank accounts or apply remotely for credit through a smartphone application. It will also contribute to addressing barriers such as limited mobility and digital literacy.

“The digital economy and demand for digital government services have been growing across the country, increasing the need for connectivity, digital payments and secure and trusted digital transactions. The project takes a whole-of-government approach to digital transformation and will help ensure digital platforms are inclusive and trusted,” said Shan Rehman, Task Team Leader for the project. The second additional financing for the Sindh Barrages Improvement Project (SBIP) will support full completion and commissioning of Guddu and Sukkur barrages rehabilitation works and improve management of three barrages in Sindh, including Guddu, Sukkur and Kotri.

Having safe and effective barrages to convey flood waters downstream is a crucial part of building climate resilience in Sindh. The additional financing will also contribute to strengthening the provincial Barrage Management Unit’s technical capacities, promoting women’s participation in emergency preparedness and implementing extensive citizen engagement and stakeholder participation.

“Barrages such as the ones supported by SBIP are critical for livelihoods and climate-resilience of Sindh province,” said Francois Onimus, Task Team Leader for the project. “The project will increase resilience of canal systems that are fed from these barrages, reducing the adverse impacts of extreme floods and drought events.”