The World Bank has approved a $200 million project aimed at enhancing state capacities to deliver basic services and climate-resilient rural infrastructure in the tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan.
This funding includes investments for post-flood rehabilitation and reconstruction, as part of the country’s efforts to respond to the devastating floods that occurred in 2022 and to build a climate-resilient Pakistan.
The project, known as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Investment and Institutional Support Project (KPRIISP), is the first phase of a multi-phase approach to improve access to reliable basic services for rural households in KP’s tribal districts.
During this initial phase, the focus will be on strengthening the responsiveness of the state and facilitating citizen-driven service delivery.
The project will also aim to rehabilitate infrastructure that was impacted by the destructive floods in 2023. KPRIISP intends to address development gaps in rural areas, particularly in some of the poorest regions of the country.
?It is expected to directly benefit approximately 5.5 million people by extending public service delivery systems, investing in basic infrastructure such as water supply and sanitation, and boosting agricultural productivity and livelihood opportunities.
The World Bank’s country director for Pakistan, Najy Benhassine, emphasized that the project will support the extension of state systems for public service delivery in tribal districts. It will also invest in critical rural infrastructure and aid in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of flood protection infrastructure damaged by the 2022 floods.
?Infrastructure investments will prioritize areas such as water supply and sanitation, rural roads, agriculture, and irrigation, with a focus on enhancing climate resilience in the face of increasingly severe and frequent extreme weather events in Pakistan.
Additionally, the project will provide conditional grants to village councils to finance local infrastructure priorities aligned with community preferences and women’s priorities.