The Japanese government on Wednesday approved a grant worth $18.5 million for the construction of three embankments on the Indus River in Haripur district and rain meters at 45 sites along the river in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab for effective flood management.
Flood Management Project Details
- Grant Amount: $18.5 million (JPY 2.831 billion)
- Funding Agency: Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
- Objective: Improve the accuracy of flood forecasts and flood control functions, accumulate basic data that contribute to disaster risk reduction measures, and reduce the risk of loss to humans and the economy, including infrastructure.
Flood Management Project Components
- Embankment Construction: Three embankments will be constructed under the project grant to protect local communities from potential human and economic losses including infrastructure.
- Hydrological Monitoring Network: 45 water and rain meters will be installed, managed by the Federal Flood Commission and Water and Power Development Authority, to help predict and manage potential floods.
- Data Sharing: The data from the water and rain meters will be shared with various agencies to help predict and manage potential floods.
Context of Flood Management Project
In 2022, Pakistan witnessed the worst floods in its history, which claimed 1,700 lives, destroyed homes and livestock, washed away swathes of agricultural land, affected 33 million people, and incurred losses worth $30 billion, according to government estimates.
The project is part of the larger Rs200bn worth of Flood Protection Programme being jointly financed by the federal and provincial governments with the support of international lenders.
Significance of Flood Management Project
- The project aims to improve the accuracy of flood forecasts and flood control functions, accumulate basic data that contribute to disaster risk reduction measures, and reduce the risk of loss to humans and the economy, including infrastructure.
- The three embankments constructed under the project grant will protect local communities from potential human and economic losses including infrastructure.
- The data from the water and rain meters, managed by the Federal Flood Commission and Water and Power Development Authority, will be shared with various agencies to help predict and manage potential floods.
Stakeholder Perspectives
Ambassador Wada, while speaking at the signing ceremony, expressed the hope that the project would provide reassurance to the people of Pakistan regarding possible future floods.
“Japan remains committed to providing assistance that will directly benefit vulnerable people of Pakistan,” the envoy said.
Economic Affairs Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz and Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan Wada Mitsuhiro signed the agreement in Islamabad.
In October, Pakistan and Japan had finalized an agreement for the procurement and installation of 45 telemetry stations and five automatic weather stations for improved flood forecasting and weather monitoring systems.