Sindh Rehabilitation Project: Rebuilding Lives and Strengthening Disaster Response

The World Bank approved funds for the Sindh Rehabilitation Project to rebuild the province from the devastating aftermath of the Pakistan floods.

by Kresentia Madina March 14, 2023

Photo: Assad Tanoli on Unsplash.

Climate change has turned the world upside down. Now more than ever, disaster-prone countries need to step up their warning systems and invest in comprehensive risk management for the people. After the massive, devastating floods in Pakistan, the Sindh Rehabilitation Project aims to rebuild the province and strengthen Pakistan’s disaster response.

The 2022 Pakistan flood

In 2022, Pakistan suffered unprecedented, heavy monsoon rainfall, resulting in a massive flood that left one-third of Pakistan underwater. The melting glaciers and heatwave that followed also amplified the impact of the flood. Over 33 million people were affected, 8 million displaced, 13,000 injured, and 1,700 killed, the UN Data shows.

Sindh is one of the worst-impacted provinces. The province generates 27% of Pakistan’s GDP and contributes to the country’s food security through livestock production. Yet, over 37% of Sindh’s 50.4 million population still live below the poverty line. The flood has exacerbated the people’s vulnerability and inadequate health services, water and sanitation, schooling, and limited access to electricity.

Sindh Rehabilitation Projects

In December 2022, the World Bank approved funds for Sindh province’s rehabilitation projects. The $1.692 billion fund is allocated to finance five projects to rebuild the province from the devastating aftermath of the Pakistan floods. The projects are as follows:

The Sindh Flood Emergency Rehabilitation Project aims to rehabilitate damaged infrastructure (including critical irrigation and flood protection, water supply schemes, and roads), provide short-term livelihood opportunities, and strengthen the government’s capacity to respond to disasters.
The Sindh Floods Emergency Housing Reconstruction Project aims to support housing reconstruction to become multi-hazard resilient through reconstruction and restoration grants. It also aims to improve water and sanitation by adding basic rainwater harvesting systems and twin pit latrines.
The Sindh Water and Agriculture Transformation Project aims to increase agricultural water productivity, improve integrated water resources management, and restore crop production by flood-affected farmers.
The Sindh Strengthening Social Protection Delivery System Project aims to support maternal and children health by providing conditional cash transfers (CCT) to 1.3 million mothers and their children.
The Sindh Integrated Health and Population Project aims to improve the quality and utilization of essential reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health and nutrition services. It also aims to build back the damaged health infrastructures.

Najy Benhassine, the World Bank Country Director for Pakistan, saw the Sindh Rehabilitation Project as a chance to further develop Pakistan’s disaster response. “Beyond the rehabilitation and reconstruction of damaged houses and infrastructure, our engagement in the flood response effort is an opportunity to strengthen resilience, and reform institutions and governance structures,” he added.

Editor: Nazalea Kusuma

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