ADB approves $320m loan for K-P road rehabilitation

Project to enhance climate resilience, rural connectivity across 900 km of vulnerable roads

ISLAMABAD:

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $320 million loan to support the rehabilitation of roads in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), aiming to improve safe and all-weather connectivity in rural areas.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Rural Roads Development Project will upgrade approximately 900 kilometres of rural roads that are prone to flooding and currently in poor condition, according to an ADB press statement released on Friday. These roads serve key routes linking remote communities to essential services like education, healthcare, and markets. The project will include climate-resilient designs, enhanced road safety measures, and sustainable maintenance practices.

"Road transport is both a lifeline for the people and a key component of socioeconomic development in Pakistan. This vital infrastructure project will reduce travel time, lower transportation costs, and increase access to economic opportunities for millions of residents in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa," said Yevgeniy Zhukov, ADB Director General for Central and West Asia.

"By providing better access to markets and services, we are empowering local communities and driving inclusive economic growth in one of Pakistan's most underserved regions," Zhukov added.

The region has experienced significant increases in rainfall and temperature, which, coupled with a lack of resilient infrastructure, has escalated the impact of natural disasters on people and livelihoods. Since 2010, repeated flooding events have severely damaged the road network, hampering connectivity and raising transportation costs.

The project will also provide technical and financial support to the government in developing long-term interventions to enhance the climate resilience and sustainability of the road network.

"ADB will assist the government in conducting a comprehensive study on flood susceptibility, with a focus on landslide vulnerability across the province, to identify priority roads," said ADB Senior Transport Specialist Seunghyun Kim.

"We will also support the government in preparing concessional contracts for the operation and maintenance of two tourism roads, contributing to the sustainability of the road network," Kim added.

Pakistan has been a founding member of ADB since 1966. To date, ADB has committed over $52 billion in public and private sector loans, grants, and financing to promote inclusive economic growth in Pakistan, improving infrastructure, energy, food security, and social services.