Flood-affected areas under 4RF: Implementation of development projects expedited

ISLAMABAD: The second meeting of the Federal Steering Committee on Resilient, Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Framework (4RF) was held in the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives on Thursday.

The ministry maintained that it has expedited the implementation of development projects being executed in flood-affected areas of the country under 4RF.

The meeting was chaired by the Secretary Planning Ministry, Awais Manzur Sumra, and attended by representatives from the Economic Affairs Division (EAD) and the Ministry of Climate Change.

Officials from the provincial governments including the AJK and the GB were also present at the meeting.

The Federal Steering Committee on 4RF was constituted for the implementation of development projects in flood–affected areas after the flood of 2022 which badly affected the country, particularly two provinces, Balochistan and Sindh.

It is noted that last year, Pakistan faced unprecedented devastation due to torrential rains and flooding in most parts of the country, affecting 33 million people and resulting in economic losses worth $ 30 billion.

In response, the government devised the 4RF framework, which proposed effective coordination and participation arrangements among federal and provincial governments, development partners, donors, international and national NGOs and academic and private sectors.

During the meeting, the representatives from the Ministry of Climate Change and the EAD gave a detailed briefing on the implementation status of the development projects while the representatives from all provinces including AJK and GB briefed the committee on the working progress on Provincial Recovery and Reconstruction Units (RRUs).

It was further appraised that an exclusive dashboard for 4RF is at the final which will be placed at the Planning Ministry that would ensure real-time monitoring and provide information to the donors and development partners.

The provinces were asked to submit the lists of their respective projects.

Similarly, it was informed that a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework is being strengthened to ensure community and partners participation to provide an independent assessment of the equity and transparency of all flood reconstruction spending.

In October 2022, the Post-Damage Needs Assessment (PDNA), conducted jointly by the Government of Pakistan and its international development partners, including the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Union, and UN relief agencies, estimated the total cost of the calamity at $ 30 billion.

In January this year, Pakistan successfully secured pledges of $ 10 billion from donors during the International Conference on “Climate Resilient Pakistan”, jointly hosted by Pakistan and the UN in Geneva.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023