The Asian Development Bank has approved an additional $48 million in financing for the Balochistan Water Resources Development Sector Project.
In its statement, the lender said the new financing will enable the completion of the Churi Infiltration Gallery, the development of the Siri Toi Dam command area, and key watershed management measures that are essential for improving irrigation efficiency and strengthening water security in the province.
The ADB noted that the broader aim is to promote sustainable water use, reduce soil erosion caused by floods, and support long-term climate resilience across some of Pakistan’s driest districts.
The additional loan builds on earlier progress and includes the introduction of a piped water distribution system in the Siri Toi command area, which will help reduce losses common in open-channel irrigation and significantly improve service delivery.
Agriculture accounts for nearly two-thirds of Balochistan’s economic output and employs about 60 percent of its 13 million residents.
Yet persistent droughts, poor water management capacity and climate stress have kept poverty rates in the province nearly double the national average.
According to ADB Country Director Emma Fan, the project “supports livelihoods and creates improved economic opportunities, particularly for women engaged in agriculture,” and is focused on the Zhob and Mula river basins.
Once completed, the Siri Toi Dam is expected to store 36 million cubic meters of water and improve reliable supply for domestic and agricultural use across 16,592 hectares, including 1,839 hectares under khushkaba (rain-fed) farming.
Long-term measures such as afforestation, soil conservation and check dams are also part of the project to reduce degradation and enhance flood management across the catchment area.
The water resource programme is also cofinanced by the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific and the High-Level Technology Fund, to establish a sustainable and climate-resilient water management system for Balochistan.
