2022 Sindh floods: WB Board likely to approve $450m housing project today

ISLAMABAD: The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors is likely to approve “Sindh Flood Emergency Housing Reconstruction Project” worth $450 million on Friday (Dec 20), aimed at delivering beneficiary-driven, multi-hazard resilient reconstruction of core housing units affected by the 2022 floods in select districts of Sindh.

Sources revealed that the board is scheduled to meet on Friday where Sindh Flood Emergency Housing Reconstruction Project would be taken on agenda.

The project will support owner-driven and multi-hazard resilient reconstruction of core housing units. A housing subsidy will provide reconstruction and restoration grants for 350,000 housing units (almost 20 percent of the total housing rehabilitation needs for Sindh) — benefitting an estimated 1.4 million people – roughly half of whom are women.

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Additionally, an estimated 400,000 beneficiaries will be trained in multi-hazard resilient construction techniques through capacity building activities supported by the project. Building this capacity among Sindh residents will improve the long-term resilience of communities by improving the structural designs and construction practices of the housing sector.

Cash grants will be provided for houses with structural damage to partially finance reconstruction or restoration. In addition, basic rainwater harvesting systems and twin pit latrines will be provided to improve access to water and sanitation. Project documents revealed that the development objective of the project for Pakistan is to deliver beneficiary-driven, multi-hazard resilient reconstruction of core housing units affected by the 2022 floods in selected districts of Sindh.

The project comprises of three components. The first component, housing reconstruction grants will support the provision of housing reconstruction grants to beneficiaries for reconstruction and or restoration of a core housing unit.

The second component, institutional strengthening and technical assistance consists of following sub-components: (i) detailed damage assessment and eligibility verification survey; (ii) provision of technical assistance for the project implementing entity’s reconstruction programme; and (iii) provision of implementation support through implementation partners.

The third component, project management and implementation support entails provision of support for the management and implementation of the project, including the establishment and operationalisation of an empowered implementation agency and a grievance redressal mechanism.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024