The World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved $194 million for two projects to enhance educational opportunities for children and boost water security in Balochistan.  “The GRADES-Balochistan project aims to reduce learning poverty in the province, while the Balochistan Water Security and Productivity Improvement Project will help address the province’s water security challenges and enhance climate resilience,” said Najy Benhassine, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan.

“The World Bank remains committed to supporting Balochistan through strategic investments in infrastructure and human development to build the foundations for more job creation, poverty reduction, and stronger resilience.”  The Getting Results: Access and Delivery of Quality Education Services in Balochistan (GRADES-Balochistan) project ($100 million) will benefit 250,000 students with a focus on increasing enrollment and improving literacy and numeracy skills in early childhood and primary education. 

Key interventions include enhancing school readiness through quality early childhood education, increasing school capacity through double shifts and public-private partnerships, providing safe transportation, constructing climate-resilient classrooms, and implementing a comprehensive teacher professional development model.  The project will provide support for 5,000 teachers through continuous professional development programs.

Additionally, scholarships will be provided to 400 female students to pursue teacher pre-service education, fostering a new generation of educators who will serve as mentors and role models.  "The GRADES-Balochistan project is a strategically important initiative that addresses critical gaps in access to and quality of pre-primary and primary education in the province,” said Inga Afanasieva, Team Leader for the project. “The project not only aims to enhance educational infrastructure but also to increase resilience to disasters and environmental sustainability.

These efforts underscore the World Bank’s commitment to creating a safer and more sustainable future for the children of Balochistan.”  The Balochistan Water Security and Productivity Improvement Project (BWSPIP) ($94 million) aims to improve the lives of smallholder and tenant farmers in the Nari, Talli, and Lehri river basins of the Kachi Plain and improve water supply services in Quetta. The project is expected to benefit 500,000 people with improved access to basic water supply services and benefit more than 80,000 people by providing climate resilient infrastructure.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)