KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday launched a major Rs87 billion coastal resilience project aimed at benefiting one million people across the districts of Thatta, Sujawal and Badin.

The project — the Sindh Coastal Resilience Project (SCRP) — is being implemented by the provincial government in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Green Climate Fund (GCF).

Speaking at the launch ceremony organised at the Chief Minister House, Mr Shah described it as “the beginning of a transformative journey” for Sindh’s coastal communities, which had remained among Pakistan’s most climate-vulnerable populations.

“It’s not merely the launch of another development project. It is the beginning of a transformative journey for the coastal communities of Thatta, Badin and Sujawal — communities that stand on the frontline of climate change and whose resilience, livelihoods and future are closely tied to the health of our coastal ecosystems,” he said.

Project to benefit one million people in 500 villages across Thatta, Sujawal and Badin

Sindh’s coastal belt, he pointed out, was one of the province’s most valuable economic and ecological assets, supporting agriculture, fisheries, livestock and mangrove ecosystems.

“But the communities living along the coast continue to face mounting threats from sea intrusion, salinity, waterlogging, floods and extreme weather events. Addressing these challenges is a development imperative for the government,” he stressed.

Coordinated and long-term response required

In his remarks, Planning, Development and Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro said the coastal areas facing interconnected challenges of poverty, flooding, saline intrusion, degradation of productive land and increasing climate risks needed a coordinated and long-term response.

“This project brings together infrastructure development, environmental restoration and livelihood enhancement under a unified framework. This integrated approach is essential because resilience is about protecting people, livelihoods, land, water resources and ecosystems together,” he added.

Fernanda Thomaz da Rocha, country director of IFAD Pakistan, said: “The SCRP is our shared response to strengthen rural communities and help them better withstand floods, salinity and economic shocks. It rests on a simple conviction of enhancing the resilience of the communities to sustainably produce, earn, invest and grow.”

Highlighting IFAD’s $100m investment in the project, she added: “Women and young people are key participants in SCRP. This is a matter of inclusion, and it is also a matter of economic sense. When women and young people gain access to assets, skills and finance, households and local economies grow stronger.”

Nissanka Amila Salgado, country operations head at ADB, said: “This project is particularly significant for the Asian Development Bank. It marks our first major agriculture, food, nature and rural development investment in Sindh in more than 15 years, and therefore represents both a renewal of our partnership and a foundation for much deeper engagement in the province.”

Chairman P&D Najam Shah and Nazeer Ahmed Memon, Project Coordinator, PCMU, also spoke.

According to officials, SCRP combines large-scale investments in livelihoods, community infrastructure, water management and ecosystem restoration under a single integrated framework.

Under the IFAD-supported component, the project will directly target poverty reduction and livelihood enhancement in coastal communities. It is expected to benefit approximately one million people across 500 villages in the three coastal districts. The programme will support climate-smart agriculture, fisheries, value-chain development, financial inclusion, community infrastructure and livelihood diversification, they said.

The officials added that under the project, around 43,000 young people will receive market-oriented skills training, while approximately 30,000 vulnerable households will be assisted through economic graduation programmes designed to help them achieve sustainable livelihoods. The project’s livelihood and community development component carries an estimated cost of Rs30.45bn.

According to the officials, a major component of the SCRP focuses on strengthening climate-resilient water infrastructure through major investments in irrigation, drainage and flood management systems.

They said the project will rehabilitate and upgrade eight major drainage systems, including Nagan Dhoro, Ghora Bari, Gharo, Pir Patho Buhara, Jati and Malkani drains. It will also strengthen flood protection structures, improve irrigation channels, enhance freshwater storage and groundwater recharge, and support community-based water management systems. The infrastructure and ecosystem restoration component, being implemented through the Irrigation and Forest Departments with ADB and GCF support, has an estimated value of Rs56.14bn.

The officials said these interventions would improve water management and climate resilience across approximately 157,130 hectares of agricultural land and help avert nearly Rs8.95bn in annual flood-related damages.

The programme also includes the establishment of more than 15,000 hectares of mangrove plantations, over 6,000 hectares of inland plantations, restoration of wetlands and the rehabilitation of Pinnah Lake. A Forest Mangrove Resource Centre would also be established to support scientific management and conservation efforts.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2026