ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved an additional $48 million for Water Resources Development Sector Project to improve water management in Balochistan and irrigation in Pakistan’s largest province.
The new funding will complete delayed components, including the Churi Infiltration Gallery, the Siri Toi Dam command area, and watershed management works. These steps aim to increase irrigation efficiency, promote sustainable water use, and reduce flood-related soil erosion.
ADB said the project will introduce a piped water distribution system in the Siri Toi command area. The system will reduce water losses, improve delivery, and offer better service than traditional open channels.
“Additional financing will support livelihoods and create better economic opportunities, particularly for women in agriculture,” ADB Country Director for Pakistan Emma Fan said. She noted that the project targets the Zhob and Mula river basins, where water scarcity and climate pressures have long hurt farming communities.
Agriculture drives Balochistan’s economy, generating almost two-thirds of provincial output and employing about 60% of its 13 million people. But repeated droughts, weak water management, and climate risks have deepened poverty, which remains nearly twice the national average.
The Siri Toi Dam will store 36 million cubic metres of water once completed. It will improve domestic and agricultural supply across 16,592 hectares, including 1,839 hectares under khushkaba, or rainwater harvesting. Watershed efforts such as tree planting, soil conservation, and check dams will help curb land degradation and manage flood risks.
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The project is cofinanced by the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific and the High-Level Technology Fund. ADB said the initiative aims to build a climate-resilient, long-term water system for communities across Balochistan.
