KARACHI: Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved $ 400 million concessional loan for Pakistan to support reconstruction of houses and community infrastructure in Sindh province, which were damaged by devastating floods in 2022. As per statement released by ADB, loan will be utilised for Sindh Emergency Housing Reconstruction Project, which "Will rehabilitate flood-damaged houses and community infrastructure and support livelihood recovery, with focus on strengthening communities' resilience against climate change-induced natural hazards".

ADB said project is key part of its multifaceted response to Pakistan's flood crisis and forms part of bank's commitment to provide $ 1.5 billion in total assistance from 2023 to 2025. "This project will help rebuild homes and communities and restore livelihood and basic services in Sindh, province most affected by devastating 2022 floods," said ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Yevgeniy Zhukov. "It is part of ADB's extensive support to help Pakistan recover from disaster which affected 33 million people and damaged houses and infrastructure across nation." Sindh sustained about 83 percent of total housing damage inflicted by 2022 floods, with around 2.1 million houses either fully destroyed or damaged, read statement. Manila-based agency said project will support conditional cash grants for reconstruction of 250,000 houses with multi-hazard resilient and environment-responsive designs.

"It will also support community-driven construction of infrastructure such as drinking water facilities, sanitation facilities, covered drainage, and renewable energy solutions for 100,000 households in around 1,000 flood-damaged villages in Sindh. "Project will also support conditional cash grants for livestock, agriculture, small enterprises and e-commerce," it added. "ADB's support will not only help Pakistan build back better, but it will also promote community-led climate resilience and disaster risk management strategies to better prepare for future hazards," said ADB Director for Water and Urban Development Srinivas Sampath.