World Bank Drops 4 Pakistan Projects Worth Over $1.1 Billion

The World Bank has dropped four proposed development projects for Pakistan with a combined value of about $1.128 billion, dealing a setback to the country’s development financing pipeline.

According to the World Bank’s latest project documents, the shelved initiatives include the $400 million Sindh Transformational Accelerated Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Services Project, the $300 million Punjab Agri Food Modernization and Competitiveness Program, the $155 million Integrated Flood Resilience and Adaptation Project, and a $273 million nutrition and child stunting reduction initiative in Punjab.

The documents show the projects were marked as “dropped,” with some failing to progress beyond the concept review stage.

A World Bank spokesperson said discussions with the Government of Pakistan are continuing and that the projects are at different stages of preparation, indicating that future options are still being explored.

The proposed Sindh water and sanitation project was intended to improve access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene services in rural areas under a broader $2.55 billion program running through fiscal year 2035.

The Punjab nutrition initiative aimed to reduce child stunting through coordinated investments in water, sanitation, healthcare, nutrition, early childhood development, and social protection, targeting rural communities where nearly 40 percent of children under five are affected by stunting.

The Integrated Flood Resilience and Adaptation Project was designed to strengthen livelihoods, restore essential services, and improve flood protection in communities affected by the devastating 2022 floods. Meanwhile, the Punjab Agri Food Modernization and Competitiveness Program sought to boost agricultural productivity, climate resilience, and incomes for smallholder farmers while attracting greater private investment into the province’s agriculture sector.