Islamabad, September 7, 2026: Japan has extended a grant aid of ¥2.6 billion to Pakistan for a project aimed at strengthening flood protection and improving dikes along the Indus River in Sindh’s Larkana region, with the initiative expected to reduce flood risks for around 790,000 residents.
The Notes to the grant agreement were signed and exchanged in Islamabad on Monday between Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan Akamatsu Shuichi and Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs Muhammad Humair Karim.
Subsequently, the Grant Agreement for the project was signed and exchanged between Senior Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Pakistan Office Sugawara Takayuki and Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs Sabina Qureshi.
The project will focus on reinforcing vulnerable sections of the Indus River dike in the Larkana region and protecting riverbanks against erosion. It will employ a stronger concrete-based embankment construction method, which remains relatively uncommon in Pakistan.
The enhanced design is expected to reduce the risk of dike breaches and associated flooding, while limiting inundation and economic losses in one of Sindh’s areas particularly vulnerable to large-scale flood damage.
The project will also help protect local communities, agricultural land and critical infrastructure from future floods, contributing to more sustainable flood-risk management in the Indus River basin.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Ambassador Akamatsu recalled Pakistan’s devastating floods of 2022 and reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to supporting the country’s recovery and reconstruction.
Japan, he said, places strong emphasis on proactive disaster prevention measures taken before natural disasters strike, drawing on its experience and expertise in disaster management.
“This project aims to minimize the risk of dike breaches in these target sections, thereby protecting the region from devastating flood damage based on Japan’s experience and expertise,” the ambassador said.
He described the initiative as being in line with Pakistan’s planning and policy efforts to build a more resilient society capable of mitigating the impact of future disasters.
“I hope this project will provide reassurance to the people of Pakistan as a reliable safeguard against future floods,” Akamatsu added.
JICA Pakistan Senior Representative Sugawara Takayuki said the dikes would be rehabilitated through concrete reinforcement under the project.
He acknowledged that the approach was relatively rare in Pakistan and involved higher initial investment costs, but said it was expected to generate more sustainable and long-lasting development benefits.
“This project is not just about building stronger dikes. It is about protecting lives, safeguarding livelihoods, and building a more resilient Sindh Province for future generations,” Sugawara said.
The project comes amid growing concerns over increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters associated with global warming. Japan has stressed the importance of proactive disaster-prevention measures to protect lives as well as agriculture, industry and food supplies.
By strengthening flood protection infrastructure along the flood-prone Indus River basin, the project is expected to reduce future disaster-related damage and economic losses while supporting long-term resilience and sustainable flood-risk management in Sindh.
