Punjab Intermediate Cities Improvement (Phase I)

Country: Pakistan
City: Sahiwal, Sialkot

Key Stakeholders and PartnersGovernment of Punjab; Asian Development Bank

Project Preparation Study PeriodJanuary 2015 – January 2017

CDIA SupportUS$ 625,093

Expected Downstream FinancingUS$250 million (ADB)

Infrastructure sectorsUrban Transport
Water Supply
Wastewater Management
Solid Waste Management

CDIA priority impact areasClimate Change Mitigation and Adaptation; Environmental Improvement; Good Governance

Key City Development Issues

The urban population in Punjab, the most populous province in Pakistan, is growing at an unprecedented speed—demographic projections show a rise from 32 million in 2016 to 60 million by 2030. Despite government efforts, urban infrastructure development has not kept pace with the rapid population growth. Punjab’s cities provide piped water to only 45% of their residents while more than half of the wastewater flows in open drains and is discharged untreated into natural water bodies or onto agricultural lands. Poor public transport and inadequate street management constrain urban mobility. Much of the cities’ daily economic activity takes place along narrow inner city streets competing with buses, cars, motorcycles, and pedestrians.

Details of Cooperation

CDIA-supported activities included: (i) preparation of a medium-term infrastructure investment program and urban infrastructure investment package for Sahiwal and Sialkot to accelerate the Punjab Intermediate Cities Improvement Investment Program (PICIIP); (ii) preparation of a Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) to identify and prepare priority investment projects in the key sectors of urban transportation, water supply, solid waste management as well as sewerage and drainage system; and (iii) conduct of climate change and vulnerability assessment to provide critical crosscutting guidelines for ensuring that all project components incorporate appropriate actions addressing anticipated climate change impacts.

Expected Development Outcomes

When fully operational, the project will improve the access to quality urban services by residents of Sialkot and Sahiwal. In the long-term, the project will contribute to the improvement of the living standards, health and economy in Sahiwal and Sialkot.