Printable version available here (PDF 6.72 MB) The World Bank, Islamabad Office
November, 2007
Building back better: From beneficiaries’ resolve to reality The October 2005 earthquake in Pakistan destroyed or damaged around 575,000 rural houses, leaving more than 73,000 dead, and rendering over 3 million people without shelter. The consensus after the relief work was that poor quality of building construction killed more people than the earthquake itself – a natural hazard converted into a man-made disaster. Shahnaz Arshad, World Bank’s team leader for the rural housing reconstruction program states that:” An easy solution would have been to provide visible and immediate relief in the face of unrelenting public demand to see results, through supply-driven solutions. However, past experiences with disasters of this nature had shown that a housing reconstruction program executed in such a manner would have resulted in more problems over time. It would have provided for little beneficiary ownership and involvement in the reconstruction process, and run the risk of being unacceptable to the intended occupants”. Feature
Speech by Yusupha B. Crookes, the Country Director for Pakistan, at the Second ERRA Annual Review Conference
========================================================= Pakistan: World Bank Supports Improving Water Irrigation in Sindh with US$150.2 million The World Bank recently approved a US$150.2 million credit to Pakistan to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the irrigation sector in Sindh Province.
The Sindh Water Sector Improvement Project is designed to improve irrigation water distribution in three Area Water Boards (AWBs) ─ Ghotki, Nara and Left Bank ─ focusing on measures of reliability, equity, and user satisfaction. It is expected to help increase agricultural production, employment, and incomes in more than 30 percent of the irrigated area in the province. Press Release
========================================================= Pakistan: World Bank Provides More Support to Poor People in Rural Areas The World Bank today approved additional financing of US$75 million to the Second Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) Project, a program that has touched the lives of more than ten million people since it began operations in 2000. Under PPAF over 10,000 community infrastructure projects have been completed, and more than half of these provide safe drinking water or access to safe sanitation, 1.2 million micro-credit loans have been provided with 99.8% repayment rate; and over 200,000 people have been trained in various skills. Press Release ========================================================= Pakistan: Strategic Country Environmental Assessment 
Pakistan is the most urbanized country in South Asia, with a booming economy. Economic reforms resulted in record growth rates and high levels of investment. However, the natural resource base is stressed and it could undermine growth prospects. To reduce the costs associated with environmental and natural resource damages in Pakistan, the SCEA provides recommendations targeting institutions, regulations, capacity, and accountability: - Strengthen institutional design, in particular to guide Federal oversight of environmental authorities delegated to provinces, to build partnerships between Federal, provincial and municipal authorities for clean air, and to define responsibilities for water quality protection.
- Update the regulatory framework, to set health-based air quality standards, use-based water quality standards, and standards for drinking water. Vehicle emission and fuel quality standards should also be updated.
- Build capacity for environmental management, especially for effective EIAs, air quality management and protection of water quality. Environment cells in key sector ministries and planning departments should be further strengthened.
- Reinforce incentives and accountability, through greater public consultation and disclosure in the EIA process, by providing public information on air and water quality, and by supporting public interest advocacy for the environment.
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Consultations on Conditionality in World Bank Development Policy Lending and the Implementation of the 2005 Good Practice Principles The World Bank, Islamabad Office held consultations on “Conditionality in World Bank Development Policy lending” in July, 2007. The objective of these consultations was to obtain substantive feedback from governments, civil society, private sector, academia, donors, and media. These consultations were conducted in two rounds. The first round of consultations was chaired by Dr Ishrat Hussain, Chairman National Commission for Governance Reforms. Donor agencies and senior government officials from federal and provincial governments participated in this consultation.
The second round of consultation was chaired by Shahnaz Wazir Ali of Pakistan Center of Philanthropy (PCP). Senior members from the civil society, academia, and media participated and provided their feedback on the World Bank conditionalities. These consultations were based around the five best practice principles that were introduced in Conditionality review of 2005. These principals are: These consultations were very constructive and the main output of these consultations will be included in the second conditionality progress report. It will help identify areas for further improvement in the application of conditionality in the paper expected to be discussed by the Board by end-November 2007.
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Consultative work shop on Sector Wide Approaches in Pakistan's Education Sector  The World Bank Islamabad office held a consultative work shop on Sector Wide Approaches in Pakistan's education sector. Representatives from major donor communities working for the Education Sector actively participated in this consultation. The purpose of the workshop was to i) share experiences from engagement of the World Bank and Development partners in SWAps ii) evolve a shared understanding of SWAps and their potential application in Pakistan specifically in the Education sector, iii) fully appreciate the required conditions and pre-requisites for successfully implementing such arrangements in the context of Pakistan.
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Doing Business 2008 ranks 178 economies on the ease of doing business. South Asia picked up the pace of regulatory reform over the past year to become the second-fastest reforming region in the world, on par with the speed of reform in the countries of the OECD. South Asia picked up the pace of regulatory reform over the past year to become the second-fastest reforming region in the world, on par with the speed of reform in the countries of the OECD, finds Doing Business 2008. The report is the fifth in an annual report series issued by the World Bank and IFC. Last year South Asia ranked lowest on the rate of reform; this year two-thirds of its countries had at least one reform.
Feature ========================================================= World Bank Group Commitments to South Asia Up by 50 Percent in Fiscal Year 2007
The World Bank Group extended loans, credits, grants, equity investments, and guarantees totaling nearly US$6.9 billion to South Asia in fiscal year 2007. This is an increase of US$2.3 billion over the previous year, demonstrating the institution’s continuing role in fighting poverty as South Asian countries look for ways to tackle their social challenges even while most of their economies grew aggressively. Press Release
Feature ========================================================= South Asia and Climate Change
Climate change is no longer an issue for the distant future. Climate change is already taking place, and the South Asian countries, particularly the poorest people, are most at risk. The impacts of higher temperatures, more variable precipitation, more extreme weather events, and sea level rise are felt in South Asia and will continue to intensify. These changes are already having major impacts on the economic performance of South Asian countries and on the lives and livelihoods of millions of poor people. Feature ========================================================= Ending Poverty in a Generation: Urgent Need for Institutional and Structural Reforms
October 17, 2007, is World Poverty Day. Recent high economic growth in South Asia raises the distinct possibility that the region with the world’s largest concentration of poor people will not just reduce poverty, but it may eliminate it in a generation. However, it will require that South Asia’s growth is sustained and made more inclusive. This in turn means closing the large infrastructure deficit and realizing much faster growth in lagging regions and states. It will also require that human development is accelerated; and deep problems of governance overcome. Feature ========================================================= World Bank supported Projects and Programs in Pakistan
The World Bank is supporting 30 ongoing Government projects in Pakistan and is active in a wide range of sectors including health, education, transport, water, etc.
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Pakistan Country Assistance Strategy
Pakistan's Country Water Assistance Strategy Doing Business Pakistan Promoting Rural Growth and Poverty Reduction Pakistan Higher Education Policy Note Pakistan Growth and Export Competitiveness Transport Competitiveness in Pakistan Pakistan Country Gender Assessment NWFP Economic Report Punjab Economic Report World Bank Documents & Reports website | 
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