ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Tuesday formalized two major climate resilience projects targeting Sindh and Punjab, the Economic Affairs Division (EAD) said in a statement.
The initiatives include the $180.5 million Sindh Coastal Resilience Sector Project (SCRP) and the $124 million Punjab Climate-Resilient and Low-Carbon Agriculture Mechanisation Project, aimed at bolstering climate adaptation, sustainable agriculture, and inclusive development.
Economic Secretary Muhammad Humair Karim praised ADB as a trusted development partner and highlighted the projects’ transformative potential. The SCRP will strengthen integrated water resource and flood risk management, restore nature-based coastal defences, and enhance institutional and community capacity for strategic planning. The project, funded through $140.5 million from ADB, $40 million from the Green Climate Fund, and $20 million from the Sindh government, is expected to directly benefit over 3.8 million people in Thatta, Sujawal, and Badin districts.
Meanwhile, the Punjab mechanisation project, financed by $120 million ADB loan, $4 million grant, and $5 million from the provincial government, aims to improve agricultural productivity and climate resilience in 30 districts. It will enhance small farmers’ access to climate-smart machinery, promote circular agriculture practices, establish training and testing facilities, and empower 15,000 women through skills development and livelihood diversification.
ADB Country Director Emma Fan commended Pakistan’s commitment and highlighted the SCRP’s role in safeguarding coastal communities and the Punjab project’s contribution to modernising agriculture and reducing emissions. Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to timely and effective utilisation of the financing.
This agreement follows earlier collaborations, including two projects signed on December 25, totaling $730 million for power transmission strengthening and accelerating state-owned enterprise transformation, as well as a $200 million support agreement earlier this year for improving the national power distribution network.
