WB okays $300m for human capital

By expanding access to these services for 1.5 million people in rural Sindh, this project will help address one of the root causes of child stunting," said Bolormaa Amgaabazar, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan. Unsafe water and poor sanitation causes repeated bouts of diarrhoea in young children, which affects nutrient absorption and limits their physical and cognitive development.

More than half of children under five in rural Sindh are stunted. STAR WASH-1 will provide 1.5 million people with access to safe water, and safely managed sanitation and hygiene services. The project will finance climate-resilient infrastructure, including solar-powered water supply systems and improved sanitation systems.

It will also roll out an integrated social and behaviour change programme to promote better personal and environmental hygiene and support a shift from a focus on infrastructure development to a safe and sustainable rural WASH service delivery.

The project aims to halve water contamination at the point of use and connect 80% of targeted rural communities to a professional water and sanitation service provider. The project is estimated to generate over 14,000 jobs.

It will also support the formalisation of the Sindh People's Housing for Flood Affectees as a rural WASH utility company. "Investing in safe water, sanitation and hygiene is more than building infrastructure – it is investing in human capital.

By helping reduce child stunting, WASH investments contribute to a healthier, more productive future for the people of Sindh. STAR WASH-1 is designed to advance this goal by transforming rural water and sanitation services through climate-resilient, community-centered and financially sustainable systems," said Bekele Debele Negewo, Lead Water Resources Management Specialist at the World Bank.

STAR WASH-1 is the first of a four-phase Pakistan Rural Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Services Programme to be implemented through a multi-phase programmatic approach over 10 years. The project is closely aligned with the World Bank Group's Water Forward initiative, which positions water security as a foundation for jobs, investment, economic growth, human development and resilience.

The total amount for STAR WASH-1 is $540 million, including $150 million from the Asian Development Bank under a recently agreed Full Mutual Reliance Framework, and $90 million equivalent in counterpart funding from the government of Sindh.