World Bank okays $300m grant for two Sindh projects

ISLAMABAD: The World Bank approved on Wednesday a $300 million grant for two projects in Pakistan, including the Sindh Resilience Project and Solid Waste Emergency and Efficiency Project.

The bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved the $200 million Sindh Resilience Project Additional Financing and $100 million Solid Waste Emergency and Efficiency Project (SWEEP).

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Najy Benhassine, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan in a statement said: “Building resilience to natural disasters and health emergencies is an important and urgent agenda in Pakistan, that will help save lives and protect the economy.”

“The debilitating impact of recent floods in Karachi, droughts and extreme rainfall in Sindh, and of course the COVID-19 pandemic, make it imperative that risk reduction investments strengthen multi-sectoral dialogue and coordination at the city, provincial, and national levels to ensure protections for vulnerable communities and fight the spread of disease.”

The Sindh Resilience Project will strengthen linkages between disaster risk management and the health sector by establishing the Sindh Emergency Service to strengthen capacity for disaster preparedness and emergency response, including health crises such as COVID-19.

The project also improves irrigation infrastructure to protect vulnerable communities living in rural areas, which will directly benefit 750,000 citizens in drought-prone areas of Kirthar range hills and the Nagarparkar region in the Tharparkar District.

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The US$100 million Solid Waste Emergency and Efficiency Project (SWEEP) will improve solid waste management services in Karachi – Pakistan’s largest city of more than 16 million people – and upgrade critical solid waste infrastructure to reduce urban flooding and public health risks.

The project focuses on emergency waste removal to restore stormwater drainage capacity before the next monsoon season, especially in vulnerable communities around drainage and waste collection sites.

The project will improve living conditions for at least half a million residents of Karachi and increase protections for workers by introducing safety protocols that improve labor conditions