In a major step towards improving socio-economic conditions in northwest Pakistan, the World Bank has approved an extra $108 million to improve infrastructure, access to basic services, and economic opportunities, especially for women and girls, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The new funds, which have been approved, will be spent on two big projects: the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Accessibility Project (KPRAP) and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Integrated Tourism Development (KITE) project. The KPRAP will get $78 million, while the KITE project will get $30 million.
Constructing Climate-Resilient Roads to Link Communities
According to the World Bank, the intention is to enable the province to develop climate-resilient infrastructure that enhances connectivity to markets, schools, healthcare, and employment. Such development is particularly vital for increased female and girl-child participation in the economy as well as access by them to increased connectivity benefits.
“The project is important to upgrade the lives of the people of the province, especially women and girls, by better connecting them to basic services and economic opportunities,” Task Team Leader of the project Muhammad Bilal Paracha said.
The KPRAP’s $78 million will be used to upgrade and rehabilitate rural road networks to make them safe and climate-resilient. The upgrades are meant to link remote communities with essential services and enhance mobility in underdeveloped regions.
Enhancing the Province’s Tourism Industry in Pakistan
Concurrently, KITE project’s additional financing worth $30 million will reinforce the tourism infrastructure in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The additional finances will support finishing off the overhaul of two prominent highways leading towards the picturesque tourism locations of the province, to help facilitate national as well as foreign tourism.
“This extra funding reiterates the World Bank’s assurance for ensuring the development objectives of Pakistan and the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” added Paracha.
The project is an expression of an overall strategy by global stakeholders to assist Pakistan in acquiring resilience against natural disasters, poverty alleviation, and inclusive growth along gender lines.
