ISLAMABAD: Climate change along with water and sanitation have become higher priorities in Pakistan, while perceptions of the World Bank Group’s support have declined in key sectors, according to the results of ‘Pakistan Country Opinion Survey for Pakistan’, commissioned by the World Bank.

The survey found that support for climate change initiatives increased from 5 per cent in fiscal year 2021 to 34pc in fiscal year 2025. Similarly, support for water and sanitation rose from 9pc to 35pc in the same period.

While the World Bank Group’s (WBG) work in pandemic preparedness, gender equity, and disaster risk management received the highest effectiveness ratings, the overall perception of its support has decreased significantly since 2021 in other areas, especially for governance, education, and water and sanitation.

In qualitative comments, respondents called for the WBG to deepen its local engagement in Pakistan, “moving beyond federal-level interactions to more meaningful collaboration at the grassroots, provincial, and community levels to better understand local needs and ensure effective implementation”.

Perceptions of the World Bank Group’s support have declined in key sectors

The survey showed that financial resources were considered the WBG’s greatest value to Pakistan at 48pc, followed by knowledge products (33pc), technical assistance (32pc), and capacity development (24pc).

While ratings for many key performance indicators remained largely consistent with 2021 findings, the survey noted that the only rating to show a significant improvement was the perception of the WBG’s effectiveness in achieving development results in Pakistan.

More than half of respondents felt that the WBG has strengthened its work in improving people’s lives (52pc) and in being easy to work with (51pc).

Additionally, just under half believed the Bank has somewhat or significantly improved the technical quality of WBG-supported projects and partnered with others to increase development finance (49 per cent and 48 per cent, respectively).

A government institution respondent stated that “capacity building of the local stakeholders and impact assessment of the projects should be necessary in the project design”.

A parliamentarian suggested the WBG “develop people-to-people contact, and engage civil society along with the government for better results of project implementation.” The parliamentarian added that Parliament and local body members “must be taken in decision and implementation of projects”.

Collaboration with the national government received the highest ratings this year, but this perception has decreased significantly since fiscal year 2021. At the same time, perceptions of effective collaboration with civil society have improved significantly.

However, the group’s collaboration with the parliament and local government received relatively lower ratings, with stakeholders from the office of a parliamentarian giving some of the lowest ratings.

Respondents were most familiar with the WBG’s and the United Nations’ work among development institutions. The survey found the WBG to be one of the most trusted institutions in Pakistan, alongside the UN and the Asian Development Bank.

Significant differences emerged in how various groups perceive the WBG. Respondents from bilateral agencies and government institutions were more positive about WBG staff accessibility than those from the offices of parliamentarians, civil society, and academia. Respondents from local government organisations tended to be more critical of the WBG’s work.

The Country Opinion Surveys, which are part of the World Bank Group’s programme series, explore stakeholder opinions on the economy, future priorities, and perceptions of the WBG’s effectiveness, relevance, and ability to influence the development agenda.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2025