QUETTA — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Balochistan government onSaturday signed the project agreement of a US$107 million loan and grantsto improve irrigation infrastructure and water resource management inBalochistan, Pakistan’s largest yet economically poor province.
Chief Minister of Balochistan, Jam Kamal Khan, witnessed signing of theproject agreement today by Additional Chief Secretary for Development, Mr.Sajjad Ahmed Bhutta and ADB Country Director for Pakistan Ms. Xiaohong Yangin provincial capital Quetta.
“Agriculture remains the backbone of Balochistan’s economy,” said Ms. Yang.“This project will introduce efficient water usage systems and practices tohelp farmers improve productivity and farm incomes.”
Agriculture accounts for almost two-thirds of Balochistan’s economic outputand employs 60% of the province’s 13 million population, but frequentdrought and poor water management has put the industry, and those who relyon it, at risk. Poverty rates in the province almost double the nationalaverage.
The Balochistan Water Resources Development Sector Project will focus onimproving irrigation infrastructure and water resource management in theZhob and Mula river basins. The two rivers irrigate vast areas of farm landin Balochistan.
Among the infrastructure that will be upgraded or built for the project arewatershed protection, dam and command area able to hold 36 million cubicmeters of water; 276 kilometers of irrigation channels and drainage canals;and facilities that will make it easier for people, especially women, toaccess water for domestic use. In total, about 16,592 hectares (ha) of landwill be added or improved for irrigation.
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The project will protect watersheds through extensive land and waterconservation efforts, including planting trees on 4,145 ha of barren landto combat soil erosion. Its output includes pilot testing of technologieslike solar-powered drip irrigation systems on 130 ha of agricultural land,improving crop yields and water usage on 160 fruit and vegetable farms, anddemonstrating high-value agriculture development.
“The project will also establish a water resources information system thatwill use high-level technology such as satellite and remote sensing toconduct river basin modeling and identify degraded land forrehabilitation,” said Ms. Yang.
ADB will also administer two grants for the project, including $3 millionfrom the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction and $2 million from theHigh-Level Technology Fund. In addition, a $2 million technical assistancewill help Balochistan’s provincial government improve its institutionalcapacity to address the risks and potential impact of climate change in theagriculture sector, as well as build a climate-resilient and sustainablewater resources management mechanism in the province.
ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, andsustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicateextreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members—48 from theregion.
