Pakistan’s economy at risk from natural disasters: World Bank.
Pakistan’s vulnerability to natural disasters, including earthquakes, landslides, and water scarcity, continues to pose high challenges to its infrastructure and the welfare of its people, according to a recent World Bank report.
The report, titled “Evidence-based Targeting of Infrastructure Investments: A Model for Accessibility to Services in Pakistan’s Rural Communities”, ranks Pakistan as the fifth most affected nation by extreme weather events driven by climate change.
Urgent need for resilient infrastructure
The World Bank’s stark assessment highlights the urgent need for resilient infrastructure and smarter investment strategies to protect rural communities.
The report highlights that Pakistan’s road maintenance practices are outdated, with budgets often prepared based on visual inspections, a method criticized for being subjective and vulnerable to political influence.
This approach, coupled with insufficient revenue streams from tolls and rights-of-way (RoW), has left road agencies heavily reliant on shrinking public-sector development budgets.
The report warns that Pakistan’s economy remains highly susceptible to natural disasters, particularly floods, which not only strain the economy but also disrupt food supplies. Pakistan’s economy at risk from natural disasters: World Bank.
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The devastating floods of 2022, among the worst in the country’s history, submerged one-third of Pakistan, directly impacting 33 million people, displacing 8 million, and destroying 2.2 million houses and 13,000 kilometres of roads.
The reconstruction efforts following these floods revealed the need for a prioritization tool that incorporates a multi-sectoral approach to infrastructure development.
The World Bank noted that Pakistan’s transportation landscape is dominated by road transport, which accounts for 95% of both passenger and freight trips.
However, this heavy reliance on road transport has led to the overburdening and deterioration of road networks, particularly at the provincial level.
Despite the expansion of the road network, the overall quality of provincial road infrastructure remains low, with maintenance hindered by a lack of funds and modern asset management systems.
Provinces, on average, allocate only 20% to 30% of the required maintenance budgets, leaving the road network vulnerable to further degradation.
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The report calls for innovative approaches to road infrastructure investment, emphasizing the need for both network expansion and the maintenance of existing infrastructure.
Accessibility to essential services and economic opportunities is another critical issue highlighted in the report.
Factors such as geography, transport infrastructure quality, and the location of services disproportionately disadvantage rural populations, who make up 62% of Pakistan’s population.
Challenging terrain, limited road networks, and poor road conditions exacerbate disparities in access to services such as schools, healthcare facilities, and markets.
The World Bank stressed the importance of evidence-based investments to address these challenges.
Strategic infrastructure investments aimed at enhancing rural road networks are essential for bridging the gap and connecting marginalized communities to essential services and economic opportunities.
Such investments, the report noted, could play a pivotal role in alleviating poverty, building human capital, and improving development outcomes.
The report also highlighted the need for modernizing engineering and design standards to incorporate climate resilience. Pakistan’s increased vulnerability to natural hazards, combined with inadequate maintenance practices, has widened disparities in service accessibility, particularly in rural areas.
The World Bank concluded that addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive and strategic approach to infrastructure development. By accurately evaluating accessibility gaps and prioritizing investments in underserved regions, Pakistan can create a more equitable and resilient future for its rural communities.
