Provinces asked to submit list of projects for flood-hit areas

Steering Committee on 4RF expedites development work in affected areas

ISLAMABAD:

The Steering Committee on the Resilient, Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Framework (4RF) asked the provinces on Thursday to submit the lists of their projects being executed in flood-affected area of the country, the planning ministry said.

According to a statement, the steering committee met at the ministry. The meeting was informed that the implementation of development projects in flood-affected areas had been expedited. It asked the provinces to submit the lists of their respective projects.

Pakistan faced unprecedented devastation due to torrential rains and flooding in most parts of the country, affecting 33 million people in the summer of 2022. The Post-Damage Needs Assessment (PDNA) estimated the total cost of the calamity at $30 billion.

In response, the government devised the 4RF concept, which proposed effective coordination and participation arrangements among federal and provincial governments, development partners, donors, international and national non-government organisations (NGOs) and academic and the private sector.

The government also established the Steering Committee on the 4RF for the implementation of the development projects in the flood-affected areas – mainly the two provinces of Sindh and Balochistan. In January this year, Pakistan secured pledges of $10 billion from international donors.

Read also: Pakistan pushing for $10b flood-relief fund disbursement

The steering committee meeting on Thursday was chaired by Planning Secretary Awais Manzur Sumra and attended by representatives from the Economic Affairs Division (EAD), climate change ministry, provincial governments, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).

On the occasion, the climate change ministry and the EAD representatives briefed the participants on the implementation status of the development projects while the provincial representatives dilated on the working progress on Provincial Recovery & Reconstruction Units (RRUs).

The meeting was informed that an exclusive dashboard for the 4RF was at the final stage, which would be placed at the planning ministry to ensure real time monitoring and provision of information to the donors and development partners.

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