MANILA: Sukkur Mayor and Spokesperson Sindh Government Barrister Arsalan Islam Shaikh has highlighted major climate resilience, urban development and municipal investment initiatives for Sindh, following his participation as a guest speaker at the Climate Adaptation Investment Planning Forum (CAIP) held at the headquarters of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila. Addressing media, Shaikh said climate change has emerged as one of the most serious challenges confronting communities across the world, with extreme heat, flooding and water scarcity increasingly threatening livelihoods, public services and urban infrastructure. He said the CAIP Forum brought together government representatives, development partners and international financial institutions to discuss practical solutions through integrated planning, climate-resilient infrastructure and strategic investment partnerships. During a high-level lunch at the forum, Barrister Arsalan Islam Shaikh met ADB Vice-President for South, Central and West Asia, Yingming Yang. On behalf of the Government of Sindh, he expressed appreciation for ADB’s support during the devastating 2022 floods and extended an invitation to the ADB Vice-President to visit Sindh. Shaikh said the Government of Sindh, in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank, is launching the Sindh Secondary Cities Improvement and Investment Programme, one of the largest urban development initiatives in the province’s history. The programme envisages an investment of approximately USD1 billion, equivalent to around Rs278 billion, for five major cities serving as divisional headquarters: Sukkur, Hyderabad, Larkana, Mirpurkhas and Shaheed Benazirabad He said the programme will focus on improving essential municipal services, including clean drinking water, wastewater management and solid waste management, as well as the development of scientific landfill sites with resource-recovery and revenue-generation facilities. The programme will also support climate-resilient infrastructure, afforestation, comprehensive master plans based on international standards and detailed subsector development plans for the participating cities. Shaikh said the initiative goes beyond physical infrastructure and aims to stimulate socioeconomic growth, strengthen the economic specialisation and productive potential of each city, and create greater opportunities for youth, women and vulnerable communities. He said the Project Readiness Financing documentation is nearing completion and is expected to be published soon. The programme will also include public-private partnership projects designed to improve municipal service delivery and generate sustainable revenues, helping municipal corporations move towards becoming financially self-sustaining institutions. Shaikh said ADB Vice-President Yingming Yang assured full cooperation and support for the timely implementation of the programme in partnership with the Government of Sindh and the concerned municipal corporations. He said the commitment demonstrated by international development partners reflects growing confidence in Sindh’s urban development and climate resilience agenda. Shaikh also shared significant news regarding Sukkur, expressing gratitude to The Rockefeller Foundation, the UK Government and the Asian Development Bank for supporting an approved USD2 million grant through the Urban Resilience Trust Fund for Sukkur’s Climate and Heat Adaptation Investment Planning. He clarified that the assistance is entirely grant-based and is not a loan, carrying no repayment obligation or service charges. “International consultants will, InshaAllah, begin their work in November 2026, ” he said. He said the catalytic initiative will help prepare investment-ready projects, attract additional financing and guide long-term improvements in essential services and heat resilience. He said particular attention would be given to protecting vulnerable communities, especially low-income households and residents of Katchi Abadis, from the growing impacts of extreme heat and climate change. During the CAIP Forum, Shaikh also met Chief Minister of Madhesh Province, Nepal, Krishna Prasad Yadav, and conveyed heartfelt condolences over the tragic loss of lives caused by the recent devastating floods in Nepal. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
Arsalan informs CAIP forum: Sindh to benefit from climate resilience, urban uplift investments
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