ISLAMABAD: Japan has agreed to provide Pakistan with a $16.4 million grant to strengthen flood protection infrastructure in Sindh province, with work focused on reinforcing a key dike along the Indus River, officials said Monday.
The agreement was formalized during a ceremony in Islamabad, where Muhammad Humair Karim Kidwai, secretary of Pakistan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs, and Japanese Ambassador Akamatsu Shuichi signed exchange notes, a record of discussion and a grant agreement for the “Project for Flood Protection and Dike Improvement on Indus River in Sindh Province.”
Under the deal, Japan will disburse 2.58 billion yen, or roughly $16.4 million, to improve and strengthen the Old Abad Bund in Larkana district, located on the right bank of the Indus River. The project aims to boost flood resilience for vulnerable communities in Sindh, a region frequently hit by monsoon floods.
Kidwai expressed gratitude to the Japanese government and people for their longstanding development assistance, citing Japan’s continued commitment to Pakistan’s socio-economic growth. He also acknowledged the technical expertise of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, or JICA, which has worked with Pakistan across multiple sectors.
Ambassador Akamatsu reaffirmed Japan’s dedication to closer bilateral ties and cooperation, while Sugawara Takayuki, a senior JICA representative, commended both the Sindh and federal governments for advancing the project to the signing phase and pledged JICA’s continued support for flood-prone areas in Sindh.
The grant marks the latest in a series of Japanese infrastructure and disaster-risk reduction projects in Pakistan, which has faced devastating floods in recent years, including the 2022 deluge that submerged large parts of Sindh.
