Pakistan and the Asian Development Bank have signed agreements worth more than $300 million to launch two major climate resilience projects, as the country steps up efforts to address growing climate risks, officials said on Tuesday.
According to Pakistan’s Press Information Department, the agreements were signed in Islamabad between Secretary Economic Affairs Division Muhammad Humair Karim and ADB Country Director Emma Fan. The initiatives include the Sindh Coastal Resilience Sector Project and the Punjab Climate-Resilient and Low-Carbon Agriculture Mechanization Project.
The Sindh Coastal Resilience Sector Project is valued at Rs 50.5 billion ($180.5 million), while the Punjab Climate-Resilient and Low-Carbon Agriculture Mechanization Project totals Rs 34.7 billion ($124 million). Together, the projects are aimed at improving climate preparedness, protecting vulnerable communities and supporting sustainable development in high-risk regions.
Pakistan is among the countries most exposed to climate change and has experienced increasingly erratic weather patterns in recent years. In 2022, monsoon floods killed more than 1,700 people, displaced around 33 million others and caused losses exceeding $30 billion. Flooding this year has also proved deadly, with another 1,037 fatalities reported.
Against this backdrop, the government has been increasing investment in climate resilience, supported by international partners including the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. These efforts have focused on climate-resilient infrastructure and adaptation measures, particularly in areas most exposed to flooding and environmental degradation.
“Both sides expressed their commitment to effectively utilize the financing for successful and timely completion of the two initiatives,” the Press Information Department said in a statement.
According to the ADB, the Sindh Coastal Resilience Sector Project will support integrated water resources management and flood risk reduction, restore nature-based coastal defences and strengthen institutional and community capacity for long-term planning. The project is expected to directly benefit more than 3.8 million people living in the Thatta, Sujawal and Badin districts.
The Punjab project is designed to enhance agricultural productivity and climate resilience across 30 districts. It will improve access to climate-smart farm machinery for small farmers, promote circular agriculture practices to reduce crop residue burning, and establish testing and training facilities. The initiative also includes plans to empower 15,000 women through skills development and livelihood diversification.
Earlier this month, the Asian Development Bank approved an additional $381 million in financing for Punjab to modernise agriculture and improve education and health services. That package included concessional loans and grants supporting farm mechanisation, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education, and reforms in the nursing sector.
