KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday launched the Sindh Coastal Resilience Project (SCRP), a $311 million (approximately Rs87 billion) climate adaptation and development initiative aimed at protecting vulnerable coastal communities, restoring ecosystems and strengthening livelihoods across Thatta, Sujawal and Badin.
The project is being implemented through a partnership between the Sindh government, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Green Climate Fund (GCF).
The launch ceremony, held at the CM House, was organised by Planning & Development (P&D) Board Chairman Najam Shah and attended by provincial ministers, advisers, senior government officials, development partners and donors.
“Today is not merely the launch of another development project,” CM Shah said, describing the initiative as the beginning of a transformative effort for communities living on the frontline of climate change.
He said Sindh’s coastal belt was an important economic and ecological asset supporting agriculture, fisheries, livestock and mangrove ecosystems, but was increasingly threatened by sea intrusion, salinity, waterlogging, floods and extreme weather events.
The chief minister said addressing these challenges was not only an environmental responsibility but also a development priority, as climate resilience was essential for protecting people, livelihoods and productive assets while restoring natural systems.
Nearly one million people to benefit
The SCRP combines investments in livelihoods, community infrastructure, water management and ecosystem restoration under an integrated framework.
The IFAD-supported component will focus on poverty reduction and livelihood improvement, benefiting approximately 196,000 households, or nearly one million people, across 500 villages in the three coastal districts.
The programme will support climate-smart agriculture, fisheries, value-chain development, financial inclusion, community infrastructure and livelihood diversification.
Around 43,000 young people will receive market-oriented skills training, while approximately 30,000 vulnerable households will be supported through economic graduation programmes aimed at helping them develop sustainable livelihoods.
The livelihood and community development component has an estimated cost of Rs30.45 billion.
“These interventions recognise a simple but important truth: resilience is strongest when families have secure incomes, communities have economic opportunities and young people have hope for the future,” the CM said.
Water infrastructure to be upgraded
A major component of the project focuses on strengthening climate-resilient water infrastructure through investments in irrigation, drainage and flood management.
The project will rehabilitate and upgrade eight major drainage systems, including Nagan Dhoro, Ghora Bari, Gharo, Pir Patho Buhara, Jati and Malkani drains.
It will also strengthen flood protection structures, improve irrigation channels, increase freshwater storage and groundwater recharge, and support community-based water management.
The infrastructure and ecosystem restoration component, being implemented through the irrigation and forest departments with ADB and GCF support, has an estimated value of Rs56.14 billion.
According to the CM, the interventions will improve water management and climate resilience across approximately 157,130 hectares of agricultural land and help avert nearly Rs8.95 billion in annual flood-related damages.
Mangroves, wetlands to be restored
Environmental restoration is another key pillar of the initiative.
The project includes the establishment of more than 15,000 hectares of mangrove plantations and over 6,000 hectares of inland plantations, along with wetland restoration and rehabilitation of Pinnah Lake.
A Forest Mangrove Resource Centre will also be established to support scientific management, conservation and sustainable development of coastal ecosystems.
P&D and Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro said coastal districts faced interconnected challenges, including poverty, flooding, saline intrusion, degradation of productive land and rising climate risks.
He said the integrated approach was necessary because resilience involved protecting infrastructure as well as people, livelihoods, land, water resources and ecosystems.
Development partners pledge support
The chief minister welcomed IFAD’s engagement in Sindh and thanked the ADB and GCF for supporting the initiative.
IFAD Pakistan Country Director Fernanda Thomaz da Rocha said the project was designed to help rural communities withstand floods, salinity and economic shocks while improving their capacity to sustainably produce, earn, invest and grow.
Highlighting IFAD’s $100 million investment, she said women and young people were key participants in the project, noting that improved access to assets, skills and finance could strengthen both households and local economies.
ADB Country Operations Head Nissanka Amila Salgado said the project was significant for the bank as it represented its first major agriculture, food, nature and rural development investment in Sindh in more than 15 years.
He described the initiative as a renewal of the ADB’s partnership with Sindh and a potential foundation for deeper engagement in the province.
P&D Board Chairman Najam Shah said the SCRP had been designed to address the interconnected challenges facing coastal communities by bringing together infrastructure development, livelihood improvement, environmental restoration and community resilience within a coordinated framework.
