Press Releases

A grant agreement signed and exchanged between Mr. SAKAMOTO Takema and Mr. KORESAWA Atsushi at the signing ceremony

Tokyo, October 2, 2020: The Government of Japan has agreed to provide grants approximately worth 471 million Japanese Yen to UN-Habitat for the improvement of Disaster Resilient School Infrastructure in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP province).

Notes to this effect were signed and exchanged between H.E Mr. Matsuda Kuninori, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan and Mr. KORESAWA Atsushi, Regional Representative, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific of UN-Habitat in Fukuoka, Japan. A Grant Agreement (G/A) on the details of implementation of the project was signed and exchanged between Mr. SAKAMOTO Takema, Director General, South Asia Department of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Mr. KORESAWA Atsushi.

Pakistan is prone to natural disasters including earthquakes. Northern areas such as KP province have been affected by earthquakes repeatedly and significantly damaged.

Especially in 2005, Pakistan was significantly damaged by earthquakes which occurred in northern areas (The magnitude is 7.6). In response to this, the Government of Pakistan has started to strengthen its disaster management system focusing on prevention and mitigation.

A view of Girls Primary School Barikot Swat that has to be rehabilitated under the Project

The Government of KP province is taking actions to improve awareness in community level which is an actual place of refuge for local residents to minimize impacts on natural disasters. In these activities, schools were expected as a center of a community and school-based disaster management is being undertaken by the Government of KP province. Therefore, improvement of disaster management capacity of schools by both hard and soft measures is urgently required.

The grant amount of 471 million Japanese Yen will be utilized by UN-Habitat for the improvement of Disaster Resilient School Infrastructure in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The project will support reconstruction and retrofitting and repairing of 150 schools and construction of 12 new schools.

Mr. SAKAMOTO Takema while speaking at the signing ceremony said "JICA is implementing some projects on disaster management in Pakistan and we would like to continue cooperation for improvement of disaster management capacity in Pakistan" He emphasized the importance of preparedness against natural disasters and committed that JICA will continue to support disaster management activities taken up by the Government of Pakistan.