World Bank Approves $194M to Boost Education and Water Security in Balochistan

In a significant move to support human development and climate resilience in one of Pakistan’s most underserved provinces, the World Bank Board of Executive Directors has approved a $194 million financial package for two critical projects in Balochistan. These investments aim to elevate educational outcomes for young learners and strengthen water security and climate adaptation in the region, which continues to face challenges of poverty, infrastructure gaps, and environmental vulnerability.

The two projects—the GRADES-Balochistan (Getting Results: Access and Delivery of Quality Education Services) and the Balochistan Water Security and Productivity Improvement Project (BWSPIP)—collectively mark a major intervention in Pakistan’s Country Partnership Framework, designed to reduce learning poverty and child stunting, while enhancing climate resilience and economic productivity.

GRADES-Balochistan: Tackling Learning Poverty Through Holistic Reform

With a budget of $100 million, the GRADES-Balochistan project will directly benefit 250,000 students, focusing on early childhood education (ECE) and primary learning outcomes, particularly in literacy and numeracy. It is designed to address some of the deepest-rooted challenges in the province's educational landscape, where access, equity, and quality remain serious concerns.

Key components of the project include:

• Expanding enrollment through public-private partnerships and double-shift schools, optimizing infrastructure use.

• Early Childhood Education support, enhancing school readiness for pre-primary learners.

• Construction of climate-resilient classrooms, ensuring infrastructure is safe, durable, and environmentally sustainable.

• Safe transport services, especially for children in remote or hazard-prone regions.

• Teacher development: Continuous professional training for 5,000 teachers to improve pedagogy and educational delivery.

• Female scholarships: Grants for 400 female students to pursue pre-service teacher education, creating a future pipeline of women educators and mentors.

Inga Afanasieva, Team Leader for the project, emphasized the transformational nature of this initiative:

“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.”

BWSPIP: Building Water Security and Resilience for 500,000 Beneficiaries

The Balochistan Water Security and Productivity Improvement Project (BWSPIP)—with an allocation of $94 million—is set to improve water resource management in both rural and urban parts of the province, notably in the Nari, Talli, and Lehri river basins of the Kachi Plain, and in Quetta, Balochistan’s capital.

The project is expected to:

• Deliver improved water supply services to over 500,000 people.

• Provide climate-resilient infrastructure to more than 80,000 individuals, including smallholder and tenant farmers.

• Improve irrigation water availability to enhance agricultural productivity.

• Construct flood protection structures to safeguard vulnerable communities.

• Enhance urban water service delivery in water-scarce Quetta.

• Empower women in water governance at the community level, fostering inclusive and participatory management.

According to Carolina Dominguez Torres, Task Team Leader for BWSPIP:

“The project supports Pakistan’s Resilient Recovery Framework and aims to provide significant benefits for the farming communities in the province as well as for the residents of Quetta. Through strategic investments, improved water management, and community engagement, the project aims to deliver lasting benefits for the sustainable development of Balochistan.”

Anchored in Pakistan’s Development Goals

These twin projects directly contribute to the goals of Pakistan’s 10-Year Country Partnership Framework (CPF), which targets reductions in learning poverty, child stunting, and climate risk. With Balochistan frequently cited as lagging in social indicators, the approved funding represents a targeted push to close the development gap and catalyze long-term socio-economic transformation.

Najy Benhassine, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan, noted:

“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.”

Looking Ahead: Toward Inclusive and Climate-Resilient Growth

The combined educational and water-sector investments present an integrated model for regional development—one that addresses the interconnected challenges of human capital, service delivery, environmental risk, and gender inequality. By fostering both cognitive and climate resilience, these projects lay the groundwork for a more stable, inclusive, and prosperous Balochistan.

These initiatives underscore the World Bank’s deepening engagement in Pakistan’s frontier regions, aiming to ensure no one is left behind in the pursuit of sustainable and equitable growth.