US backs Recharge Pakistan project with $5m funds

ISLAMABAD: The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, has decided to support Recharge Pakistan, a project to enhance Pakistan’s resilience to climate change by improving water systems and investing in green infrastructure.

The USAID contributed $5 million in funding to support the project, and this week the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board approved an additional $66 million to support the project, a news release said.

The Coca-Cola Foundation contributed $5 million and the World Wildlife Fund $1.8 million. Overall, this $77.8 million partnership is the largest-ever investment in an ecosystem-based approach to building Pakistan’s climate resilience.

“The U.S. government considers the Recharge Pakistan Project a game changer for flood mitigation and the creation of economic opportunities in areas faced with recurring water insecurity.

Partnering with GCF, the Coca-Cola Foundation, and World Wildlife Fund will help Pakistan tackle the negative impacts of climate change and align seamlessly with the U.S.-Pakistan Green Alliance framework,” said U.S. Ambassador Donald Blome.

The government of Pakistan’s Ministry of Climate Change will collaborate with the Ministry of Water Resources’ Federal Flood Commission and implementing partners to reduce flood and drought risk in the Indus Basin; reduce emissions; and promote green policies, strengthen the policy, legal, regulatory, and institutional environment promoting green climate efforts.

The project also aims to improve employment opportunities and support bankable projects for climate-resilient businesses in the agriculture, forestry, water, and sanitation sectors to help reduce the vulnerability of people and ecosystems to the impacts of climate change following the devastating floods of 2022.

The project will be implemented in Dera Ismail Khan and Ramak districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Manchar in Sindh, and Chakkar Lehri in Balochistan. The project is expected to benefit more than seven million people. This project illustrates how a wide range of partners can come together in support of the U.S.-Pakistan “Green Alliance” framework.