Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide $2,000,000, from the Pakistan Earthquake Fund (PEF) on a grant basis for building on the ongoing Technical Assistance Programme on capacity building for the office of the Auditor General Pakistan attached to EEAP.
A TA entitled capacity building for institutions related to Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation will be attached to the Programme, which is estimated to cost the equivalent of $2,500,000. However, the TA project will provide additional support for all the institutions related to the earthquake R&R programme in key areas as deemed necessary.
In an update project report, C Yu, Senior Safeguards Specialist, CWRD of ADB mentioned that this support will include community-based training on seismic standards and construction monitoring techniques; financial and strategic management; environmental and social protection (emphasising gender and vulnerability aspects of social protection). Special attention will be paid to capacity building at the provincial or state and district levels.
C Yu said that the TA will provide additional support for all the institutions related to the earthquake R&R programme in key areas as deemed necessary.
The proposed TA is to be implemented over 36 months from July 2007 to July 2010. Consulting services will include 6 person-months international consultants 8 and 325 person-months of national consultants. The TA will be used mostly to support the ongoing training and the environmental and social protection programme, which has been conducted by a number of civil organisations, including National Rural Support Programme and Sarhad Rural Support Programme. As such, single-source selection of the consultants is proposed to ensure the continuity of the training, as well as the environmental and social protection programmes; and to take advantage of their experience in these activities. Single-source selection also will be conducive for the timely execution of the TA project to support the housing reconstruction programme, which is expected to be completed by May 2008, he added.
According ADB report, the Pakistan government has taken an owner-driven and in site approach for housing reconstruction, and has made significant progress. Households build their own houses, based on the seismic standards and designs provided by the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra). Households use the subsidies provided by the government through Erra, which are made in four instalments based on the physical progress of construction.
A major portion of the funds committed by multilateral and bilateral development agencies for housing reconstruction has been disbursed. More than 96 percent of households have received the second instalment.
The owner-driven approach for building seismically safe houses requires many inspectors and trainers on the ground. About 25,000 master trainers have received training, and they have trained more than 200,000 affected house owners on seismic building standards and techniques. The Army, together with non-government organisations (NGOs), has provided the bulk of the personnel on the ground.
However, this has distracted the Army from its regular duties. Civil organisations gradually should replace the Army in conducting inspection and training. The funding for many NGOs also is nearly depleted. A replenishment of the resources needed to continue providing training and inspection, which are essential for the continued success of the housing reconstruction programme, is urgently needed.