World Bank terms implementation progress of Sindh Resilience Project ‘satisfactory’

ISLAMABAD: The World Bank has rated the implementation progress of “Sindh Resilience Project” satisfactory with completely disbursed at $292.24 million.

The objectives of the project are to mitigate flood and drought risks in selected areas and strengthen Sindh’s capacity to manage natural disasters and public health emergencies.

The project documents noted that overall the project is making satisfactory progress on implementation and towards the achievement of the Project Development Objective (PDO). The project has benefited around 5.3 million people, approximately 48 per cent of whom are women.

Flood victims in Sindh: World Bank approves financing for 5 projects

The project is completely disbursed at $292.24 million. Two indicators have exceeded targets (land area protected, number of people at risk receiving early warning notifications); two indicators are fully achieved (improved institutional capacity and establishment of Sindh Emergency Service); and one indicator is substantially achieved (direct project beneficiaries).

Under the SID component, 60 small dams have been constructed, while eight small dams are expected to be completed by July 2023. The dams effectively performed during the 2022 flooding, benefiting local communities through groundwater recharge and the infiltration enabled by the weirs through ponding. No structural damage was reported.

Under the PDMA Sindh component, most project activities have been completed including establishment of an early warning dissemination system, development of Disaster Management plans for 30 districts, and the launch of the Disaster Management Information System. One of the key activities was to establish an integrated and independent emergency response service in Sindh.

A dedicated helpline number “1122” has been created and since May 31, 2022, provides key services across 12 districts, including long-distance medical transfers, accident response, and law and order support.

The Rescue 1122 helpline receives thousands of calls daily and routinely coordinates with other departments for effective emergency response.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023