Islamabad:Japan has extended a grant aid of 2.6 billion Japanese yen to Pakistan for the Project for Flood Protection and Dike Improvement on the Indus River. Notes to this effect were signed by and exchanged between Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan Akamatsu and secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs Muhammad Humair Karim here.
Later, Senior Representative of JICA Pakistan Office Sugawara Takayuki and Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs Sabina Qureshi signed and exchanged the project’s grant agreement. Officials said the project aims to reduce the risk of the dike breaches and associated economic losses through the reinforcement of dike in the target section in Larkana region. They said riverbank erosion protection works and dike reinforcement would be carried out.
The officials said the project adopted a stronger concrete-based embankment construction method, which remained relatively rare in Pakistan. They said the enhanced design was expected to further mitigate the risk of embankment breaches and thus, improving flood resilience in the target area.
The ambassador said in 2022, Pakistan experienced the most devastating flood in its history. He said in order to support the nation recovery and reconstruction, the government of Japan had been fully committed to providing vital assistance,” he said.
The envoy said Japan placed a strong emphasis on conducting practice disaster prevention measures taken decisively before natural disasters actually occur.He said the project aimed to minimise the risk of dike breaches in these target sections, thereby protecting the region from devastating flood damage based on Japan’s experience and expertise.
“We recognise this project is a vital initiative along the line with is Pakistan’s planning and policy efforts, contributing to building a resilient society capable of mitigating future disasters. I hope this project will provide reassurance to the people of Pakistan as a reliable safeguard against future floods.”
Takayuki of JICA Pakistan said under the project, the dike would be rehabilitated with concrete reinforcement.“While this is a relatively rare approach in Pakistan and requires higher initial investment costs, it is anticipated to deliver more sustainable and long-lasting development impacts. This project is not just about building stronger dikes. It is about protecting lives, safeguarding livelihoods and building a more resilient Sindh province for future generations.”
