Planning minister directs to expedite projects under 4RF framework

ISLAMABAD: The caretaker Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Muhammad Sami Saeed, directed relevant stakeholders on Wednesday to expedite the development projects for flood-affected areas under the Resilient Recovery, Rehabilitation & Reconstruction (4RF) framework, which was launched after the 2022 flood.

The caretaker planning minister issued the directives while chairing a meeting to review progress on the implementation status of the 4RF framework, according to a press release issued.

The meeting was attended by the Convener of the Rehabilitation Recovery Unity (RRU), Chief Economist, Joint Chief Economist, Member Infrastructure, Member Environment, and other relevant stakeholders.

During the meeting, the Minister received a detailed briefing on the implementation status of the 4RF framework, which encompasses various projects aimed at assisting flood-affected areas across the country.

It is noteworthy that last year, Pakistan faced unprecedented devastation due to torrential rains and flooding in most parts of the country, affecting 33 million people and resulting in economic losses worth $30 billion.

In response, the government devised the 4RF framework, which proposed effective coordination and participation arrangements among federal and provincial governments, development partners, donors, international and national NGOs, and academic and private sectors.

In October of the same year, the Post-Damage Needs Assessment (PDNA), conducted jointly by the Government of Pakistan and its international development partners, including the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Union, and UN relief agencies, estimated the total cost of the calamity at $30 billion.

In January of this year, Pakistan successfully secured pledges of $10 billion from donors during the International Conference on ‘Climate Resilient Pakistan,’ jointly hosted by Pakistan and the UN in Geneva.

During the meeting, a comprehensive briefing was provided to the Minister on the implementation status of the 4RF framework and the various projects being executed for the benefit of flood-affected areas in the country.

It was further noted that all projects are being closely supervised, and in this regard, a dashboard will be launched at the Planning Ministry to ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of the projects.

Despite Pakistan’s carbon emissions being less than 1%, the country remains highly vulnerable to climatic disasters. Pakistan raised this concern during the COP27 summit held in Egypt last year.