Project Background and Context

In KP province, most of the school buildings and educational institutions do not comply with the required building standards published by the Pakistan Engineering Council.  As a result, majority are poorly constructed and lack of preparedness and response plans for disasters. There is an agreement among experts that many schools collapse due to lack of knowledge and lack of policy, regulations and guidelines for school site selection, design, construction, and use of construction material. Equally contributing to such factors is lack of preparedness in schools in terms of evacuation plans, designated evacuation areas, and safety awareness. Considering the scale of human and capital loss in earthquake and other natural disasters, international community is urgently needed to bridge the resource gap of the respective governments to address the vulnerability and risk of exposure of school children to natural disasters and calamities.

Government of Japan and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)  signed an Exchange of Note and  a Grant Agreement with  United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat for the Improvement of Disaster Resilient School Infrastructure in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Signing ceremony was held at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tokyo, Japan on October 2, 2020 between Mr. Atsushi Koresawa, Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific of UN-Habitat and HE. Mr. Kuninori Matsuda, the Ambassador of Japan. The Grant Agreement was signed by Mr. Koresawa and Mr. Takema Sakemoto Director General, South Asia Department of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The project will promote resilience of educational infrastructures through structural and non-structural measures and provision of necessary service infrastructure including WASH facilities. The planned interventions will contribute to the implementation of the Sendai Framework targets aiming to reduce lives lost, numbers of people affected, and economic damage from natural disasters.

The project will undertake retrofitting and repairing of 150 schools and construction of 15 new school buildings, improvement in sanitation and hygiene facilities in schools and capacity building of relevant institutions in earthquake affected areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The project is scheduled to commence in October 2020 and complete in September 2023. The Project will be implemented by UN Habitat, Pakistan office in collaboration with Elementary and Secondary Education Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), JICA office of Pakistan  and other stakeholders. The target areas of KP include Chitral, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Buner, Swat, Peshawar and Malakand.

Project Commencement and Advocacy Workshop

Project Commencement and Advocacy Workshop of the Project for improvement of Disaster Resilient School Infrastructure in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan was held in Peshawar in February 2021, which was attended by Mr. Furuta Skigeki, Chief Representative JICA; Mr. Qaiser Humayun, Economic Advisor, Embassy of Japan; High level officials of Education Department, KP; Mr.Laxman Perera, Human Settlements Officer, UN Habitat Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific; Mr. Jawed Ali Khan, Habitat Programme Manager, and other officials from UN Habitat; District Education officers, KP, Engineers and other stakeholders.

The delegates highlighted that Pakistan has been suffering from natural disasters such as landslide, floods and earthquake, these experiences are suggesting importance of prior investment in disaster risk reduction for mitigation of damage caused by natural disaster and human security. The project will contribute to the implementation of the Sendai Framework targets based on the concept of “Build Back Better”, aiming to reduce lives lost, numbers of people affected, and economic damage from natural disasters and human security of the region through knowledge and know-how of UN Habitat.