A high-level delegation from the European Union (EU) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) recently visited the Karachi Water Corporation’s central office in Karsaz. The delegation, led by EdwardasBumstinas, Head of the Asia, Central Asia, and Pacific Division, included Marco Arena, Loan Officer for Asia and the Pacific at EIB, Jeroen Williams, First Counsellor and Head of EU Cooperation in Pakistan, Farah Farooq, Joint Secretary of the Government of Pakistan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs, and senior consultants from the World Bank, including Tiziana Smith and Leslie Cordero, as well as Kamran Akbar, Senior Social Development Specialist. During the meeting, CEO of Karachi Water Corporation, Engineer Syed Salahuddin Ahmed, highlighted recent initiatives and reforms by the new administration, which have gained international recognition. He briefed the delegation on the corporation’s roadmap to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 6.
He informed them that improving water and sewage infrastructure in the metropolitan area requires an investment of $4 billion. The Sindh government and the World Bank signed a Cooperation Agreement (CoC) in 2019 for a multi-phase Karachi Water and Sewerage Services Improvement Project with a $1.6 billion commitment over 12 years. However, an additional $2.4 billion gap remains, which needs to be addressed through alternative financing and robust public-private partnerships. The EIB delegation expressed a strong interest in collaborating on potential projects with the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. They praised the corporation’s short, medium, and long-term vision and its comprehensive roadmap for sustainable development goals. The delegation was optimistic about projects such as water filtration plants, renewable energy infrastructure, wastewater treatment plants, and recycling initiatives, which are to be explored further through detailed feasibility studies with the EIB’s Technical and Engineering Directorate. The EU representatives emphasized the possibility of providing technical assistance to reduce non-revenue water and enhance the efficiency of the current workforce.
They acknowledged the Water Corporation’s significant potential for development and its capacity to become a leading facility in the region for water supply. The visit concluded with a tour of the Water Corporation’s state-of-the-art Hydrant Management and Monitoring Center, where the delegation commended the administration’s efforts in developing the facility under Karachi’s challenging geopolitical environment. This visit marks the first time the EIB has engaged with a utility organization in Pakistan for investment purposes, highlighting a major achievement for the Water Corporation. The recent transformation of Karachi Water and Sewerage Board into a corporation has restored confidence in its administration and board of directors, with international financial institutions and foreign dignitaries recognizing the progress and recent changes.
