ISLAMABAD: The Independent Evaluation Department (IED) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has rated “Pakistan: Flood Emergency Reconstruction and Resilience Project”, successful, relevant, highly effective, efficient, and likely sustainable.
The IED in its validation report noted that at appraisal, the estimated project cost was $242.3 million.
The ADB loan comprised 90 per cent and the balance was from the counterpart funds. At completion, the actual project cost was reduced by 22 per cent of the appraisal amount. The ADB’s share remained at 90 per cent and the remainder was from the government’s contribution.
In September 2014, monsoon rains and overflowing rivers flooded the northern regions and portions of Punjab and the Sindh provinces, affecting 44 districts. More than 2.5 million people were displaced in central Punjab with over 600 injuries and in 367 deaths due to this flood.
About 110,000 houses were either partially damaged or destroyed, and more than 445,154 hectares of agricultural lands were damaged affecting 250,000 farmers.
A multi-sector recovery needs assessment was undertaken by the National Disaster Management Authority, the provincial disaster management authorities, and the United Nations agencies. The preliminary amount of funds needed for recovery was estimated at $439.7 million, including $56.2 million for building resilience for the affected population and their productive assets. Of this amount, 50 per cent was needed for housing and livelihood restoration and another 40 per cent for community infrastructure, health, water, and resilience.
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In November 2014, the Government of Pakistan requested the ADB and the World Bank to prepare their own damage and needs assessments. Instead, the ADB and the World Bank opted to assist the governments in the preparation of their own damage assessments to develop internal capacities in view of the recurring nature of disasters in the country.
The 2014 Flood Damage Assessment Report for the districts of Haveli, Kotli, Poonch (AJK), and other flood-affected districts in the region, indicated an estimate of $123.87 million for the reconstruction of public infrastructure, of which $67.55 million (55 per cent) was for the reconstruction of roads and bridges.
In Punjab province, the estimated total reconstruction cost was about $136.9 million, of which over $104 million (75 per cent) was for transport and irrigation, drainage, and flood protection. As a result, the government requested the ADB for a three-year emergency assistance loan for the restoration of priority infrastructure.
The project’s envisaged impact was economic and social recovery from the 2014 floods by the year 2018, in line with the National Disaster Management Plan 2012–2022. Its intended outcome was restoration and reconstruction of critical public and social infrastructure to multi-hazard resilience standards.
The expected outputs were (i) reconstructed flood-damaged roads and bridges in Punjab Province and the districts of AJK; (ii) implemented flood resilient irrigation and flood management infrastructure in Punjab Province; and (iii) strengthened disaster risk management.
The project completion report (PCR) rated the project successful. It was assessed relevant, highly effective, efficient, and likely sustainable. This validation assesses the project relevant, effective, efficient, and less than likely sustainable. Overall, this validation assesses the project successful.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022