Description

The project will contribute to the economic and social recovery of flood-affected areas in Punjab Province and the northern districts of Haveli, Kotli and Poonch (also known as northern districts ) through the rehabilitation and reconstruction of high-priority infrastructure damaged and weakened during the floods in September 2014. The project focuses on the transitional phase of the emergency response for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of priority roads, bridges, irrigation and flood protection infrastructure damaged by the floods. Providing financing for the most urgently needed works, the loan and grant will enable the Government to redirect its own financing to housing and livelihood cash grants for the most vulnerable groups, thus restoring the economic activity essential to their survival. The project will also support ex ante disaster risk management (DRM) capacity building to mainstream resilience in development planning. Reconstruction of damaged and at-risk infrastructure in the flood-affected areas will use appropriate and cost-effective multi-hazard resistant design and construction standards to mitigate the potential impact of future disasters. The Project s design is based on the findings of the damage assessment reports prepared by the respective Punjab Planning and Development Departments (P&D) in January 2015 and facilitated by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank, in close coordination with the federal government and other donors.
Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy

A late and concentrated monsoon, coupled with high flows in Pakistan s eastern rivers resulted in flooding in the northern regions of Pakistan, Punjab and Sindh provinces in September 2014. The flood affected 44 districts across the country. It lead to the displacement of more than 2.5 million people, with major displacement and damage in central Punjab, which resulted in 367 deaths, and injured over 600 people. Nearly 110,000 houses were partially damaged or destroyed, over 1.1 million acres of agricultural land and 250,000 farmers were affected. This resulted in the loss of standing food, fodder or cash crops. Non-farm sources of livelihoods and services were also affected, including many small enterprises, manufacturing and processing businesses and losses of wage employment due to disruption of the economy.
Impact

Economic and social recovery from the 2014 floods by 2018 (National Disaster Management Plan 2012- 2022)
Project Outcome
Description of Outcome

Restoration and reconstruction of critical public and social infrastructure to multihazard resilience standards
Implementation Progress
Description of Project Outputs

1. Flood-damaged roads and bridges in Punjab Province and the districts of Haveli, Kotli, and Poonch reconstructed 3. DRM strengthened 2. Flood-resilient irrigation and flood management infrastructure in Punjab Province implemented
Summary of Environmental and Social Aspects
Environmental Aspect

The Project involves rehabilitation and reconstruction works across road network and irrigation network in Punjab and the road network in AJK to address the damage caused by recent floods in Pakistan. The civil work will be focused around the existing road corridor and lengths of irrigation canals. Therefore, environmental impacts will be limited to minor disturbance caused by construction works. An environmental assessment and review framework (EARF) will be prepared for the loan and will set forth the environment assessment and review methodology to be followed during implementation. The environment category of the project based on information available is B.
Involuntary Resettlement

The Project involves rehabilitation and reconstruction (R&R) of the flood damaged roads, bridges Irrigation Schemes and flood protection works. Land acquisition is not envisaged for roads, bridges and irrigation schemes but flood protection work is expected to have some land acquisition and resettlement impacts. A land acquisition and resettlement framework (LARF) has been prepared in accordance with ADB?s Safeguard Policy Statement (SPS 2009) and Pakistan?s Land Acquisition Act 1894 (LAA) to address/ compensate the LAR impacts based on the land acquisition and resettlement plans (LARPs) to be prepared for the sub-projects, The project is tentatively assigned category B for Involuntary Resettlement.
Indigenous Peoples

The project is located in Punjab and the northern districts of Haveli, Kotli and Poonch where no indigenous or tribal peoples, as SPS describes them to be, have been found living in or around the project areas. All displaced people (IPs) are Muslim and they do not recognize themselves as IPs. The ADB s policy on IPs is therefore not triggered. Therefore this project has been categorized as C for IPs.
Stakeholder Communication, Participation and Consultation
During Project Design

1. Participatory approaches and project activities. Preliminary discussions and consultations were held with the local communities and relevant departments to understand the potential impacts of the project. Focus group discussions were held with the representatives of the CSOs to hear their concerns and views about the project. Grievance mechanisms developed at various levels will ensure representation of the local communities and project affectees. 2. Civil society organizations. Given the scope of the project, the CSOs role will be limited. But CSOs will be engaged for information sharing and collection of data during activities like multi-hazard assessment and mapping exercises.

Country     Pakistan
Project Number     49038-001
Type or Modality of Assistance     Loan
Financing     Public sector (Sovereign)
Status     Approved
Approval Numbers     Loan No. 3264
Approval Date     30 Jun 2015
ADB Financing ($ thousand)     220,040
Sector     Multisector
Subsector     Multisector
Strategic Agendas     Environmentally sustainable growth (ESG)
Inclusive economic growth (IEG)
Drivers of Change     Gender equity and mainstreaming (GEM)
Knowledge solutions (KNS)
Gender Equity and Mainstreaming Categories     Category 2: Effective gender mainstreaming (EGM)

Project Data Sheets (PDS) contain summary information on the project or program. Because the PDS is a work in progress, some information may not be included in its initial version but will be added as it becomes available. Information about proposed projects is tentative and indicative.

Responsible ADB Officer: Donneth Walton (Request for information)   
Responsible ADB Department: Central and West Asia Department
Responsible ADB Divisions: Pakistan Resident Mission
Last PDS Update 30 Jun 2015