Japan to provide $16.4m for flood protection in Sindh

Dawn reported that Japan has agreed to give Pakistan a grant of 2.58 billion yen, roughly $16.4 million, to reinforce embankments along the Indus River in Sindh. The aid is aimed at boosting climate resilience for communities facing high flood risk. The deal was finalised via a notes exchange and a grant pact at the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

The funds will go toward a flood protection and dike improvement project meant to shield vulnerable people from future river flooding. A key component is strengthening the Old Abad Bund in Larkana, located along the Indus. Akamatsu Shuichi, Japan's ambassador to Pakistan, and Mohammad Humair Karim Kidwai, Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, signed the agreement.

Kidwai thanked Japan for its development assistance and its long-standing role as a valued partner. JICA's senior representative, Sugawara Takayuki, praised both tiers of government for getting the initiative to the point of signature. The ambassador pledged continued work with Islamabad to deepen bilateral ties.