| Project Detail |
Project Name
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Roads Development Project
Project Number
54048-001
Country / Economy
Pakistan
Project Status
Proposed
Project Type / Modality of Assistance
Loan
The project is designed to address the challenges associated with the (i) peoples lack of access to public services in rural areas, (ii) the loss of serviceability of roads damaged by the floods in 2022, and (ii) limited sustainability in road assets through rehabilitation of prioritized rural roads and execution and/or implementation of output and performance-based contracts.
Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province (KPK), situated in the northwest frontier of Pakistan adjacent to Afghanistan, consists of 38 districts and seven divisions. As per the 2023 census, its population is 40.8 million, the majority of whom reside in rural areas. Its gross state product is $38 billion as of 2022, which is 10% of the country with agriculture and livestock being major resources of economic activities (24% of the gross state product) and employment creation (more than 50%) in rural areas. Given its strategic geographical location, the province holds substantial potential for enhancing regional connectivity and facilitating trade with Central Asian countries.
About 85% of the population in KPK resides in rural areas, where access to public service is not only poor, but also deteriorating. Basic public service provision in the province stands behind the national average, partially due to the areas geographic characteristics that make service delivery a challenge. In contrast to central districts, the provinces northern and southern districts, for example, confront significant challenges in providing access to decent public services.
According to the geospatial analysis, which was conducted as part of the feasibility study, almost 40% of the rural population in KPK (about 14 million people) needs to travel more than 60 minutes to access a health facility (2nd highest in the country). The part of the rural population that needs to travel more than 30 minutes to access schools are: 85% for primary school, 90% for middle school, and 92% for secondary school. |
