Sindh seeks more ADB funding after cataclysmic floods destroy houses

• CM Shah says climate change victims of Sindh have lost around 1.8 million houses during heavy downpour and floods.
• Says initial estimates show Rs1,500 billion required to construct 1.8 million houses.
• Asks Asian bank to meet shortfall of Rs1,390 billion so that all homeless people could be provided with shelter.

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his meeting with the Director-General of the Asian Development Bank for Central and West Asia department Eugenue Zhukov, said that the World Bank has pledged Rs110 billion against a requirement of Rs1,500 billion for the construction of houses destroyed in the recent floods, therefore, the Asian bank may come over to meet the shortfall of the funds.

CM Shah said that the climate change victims of Sindh have lost around 1.8 million houses during the heavy downpour and floods, adding that the initial estimates showed that Rs1,500 billion were required to construct 1.8 million houses.

The CM said that the world bank has pledged Rs110 billion ($500 million) against a total requirement of Rs1,500 billion. “We shall be thankful if the Asian bank meets the shortfall of Rs1,390 billion so that all the homeless people could be provided with shelter/house,” he said.

The visiting ADB DG told the chief minister that the bank has committed $475 million to the federal government, of which $300 million would be the share of the provincial government for the construction of damaged infrastructure.

Out of $475 million, $100 million would be given to NHA for the reconstruction of the Motorway, from Karachi to Hyderabad.

CM Shah told the ADB official that the country in general and the province of Sindh, in particular, has suffered heavy losses due to climate change despite Pakistan's total contribution to emissions recorded at 0.8%. He added that the international community and donor agencies should support the country in the rehabilitation of the affected people and infrastructure.

Eugenue said that his bank would start a project to mitigate the effects of climate change in Sindh. The project was under consideration between the ADB and the Sindh Planning & Development department.

The CM told the visiting DG of the ADB that the small roads connecting different villages to the main roads and the cities have been badly damaged. He proposed a project for the rehabilitation of small roads so that the mobility of the people for sake of their livelihood and economy could be ensured.

The CM and the visiting ADB DG also discussed the rehabilitation of provincial roads for which P&D and works departments were working with the bank.