ISLAMABAD: The World Bank has proposed some changes in the implementation plan for the Sindh Water and Agriculture Transformation project to adapt mitigation activities to help the provincial government manage climate risks with a focus on the water and agricultural nexus.

In a just-released climate change technical note on the project, the World Bank says the project approved in December last year intends to improve agricultural water productivity to obtain more value from water supplies affected by climate change.

The World Bank is discussing with the government specific adaptation and mitigation activities proposed for the project, whic intends to improve agricultural water productivity to obtain more value from water supplies affected by climate change, induced disasters.

By improving the institutional framework for Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), the project will improve the capacity of Sindh to better cope with floods and droughts. It will also help in the allocation of increasingly scarce water resources among competing uses such as agriculture, urban, and the environment. The promotion of climate-smart agriculture will contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and contribute to mitigation goals.

The $98 million project that also be additionally funded with $194 million non-concessional credit from International Development Association (IDA), having the total commitment of $292 million, will increase agricultural water productivity in Selected Farmers’ Organisation (SFO) command areas, improve integrated water resources management, and contribute to restoring crop production by small- and medium-sized farmers hit by the 2022 floods.

Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2023