World Bank approves $300m water project for Sindh

November 14, 2026 (MLN): The World Bank Group has approved $300 million in financing for a rural water supply, sanitation and hygiene project in Sindh, aimed at providing 1.5 million people with access to safe and improved services.

The funding will support the first phase of the Sindh Transformational Accelerated Rural Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene Services Project (STAR WASH-1), which will focus on selected rural areas of the province.

The project seeks to address child stunting by improving access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene facilities. More than half of children under five in rural Sindh are stunted, with unsafe water and poor sanitation contributing to repeated diarrheal infections that affect nutrient absorption and physical and cognitive development.

Under the project, climate-resilient infrastructure will be developed, including solar-powered water supply and improved sanitation systems. It will also introduce an integrated social and behaviour change programme to encourage better personal and environmental hygiene and promote sustainable rural water and sanitation services.

STAR WASH-1 aims to reduce water contamination at the point of use by half and connect 80% of targeted rural communities to professional water and sanitation service providers.

The project is expected to generate more than 14,000 jobs and support the formalization of the Sindh People's Housing for Flood Affectees as a rural water and sanitation utility company.

STAR WASH-1 is the first phase of a four-phase Pakistan Rural Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Services Programme, which will be implemented over 10 years.

The total project cost stands at $540 million, comprising $300 million in World Bank financing, $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.

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