ISLAMABAD, June 4, 2026 – The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the grant aid agency of the Government of the Republic of Korea, has signed a Record of Discussion (RoD) with the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) for a new development project titled “Improving PCRWR Research Infrastructure and Enhancing Integrated Water Resources Management Capacity.” The signing ceremony, held at the PCRWR headquarters in Islamabad, was attended by high-level representatives from federal ministries and provincial departments, marking an important milestone in bilateral development cooperation between Pakistan and the Republic of Korea.
Amid mounting climate change challenges and shifting demographic pressures in Pakistan, this project addresses critical gaps in water data accuracy and resource management. The Government of the Republic of Korea is committing grant aid of up to USD 10.97 million. The project is scheduled to span a five-year period from 2026 to 2030, with implementation sites concentrated across both the Islamabad Capital Territory and Sindh Province, including Karachi.
The project focuses on two key objectives. First, it will support Pakistan’s data-driven water resources management and research capacity by improving digital research infrastructure and monitoring systems, which directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6, Clean Water and Sanitation). Second, it aims to further strengthen cooperation between the Republic of Korea and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan through the successful implementation of these joint activities.
This newly signed project represents the third major phase of KOICA’s commitment to strengthening Pakistan’s water resources management capacity, building upon previous successful cooperation projects implemented with Pakistani partner institutions. KOICA has already successfully completed the “National Capacity Building Institute for Water Quality Management” project with PCRWR Islamabad, with a budget of USD 3 million from 2011 to 2017. This was followed by “The Project for Enhancing Water Quality Monitoring System to Achieve SDG 6 in Pakistan,” a USD 7.42 million initiative implemented from 2019 to 2024 in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change and PCRWR.
In her welcome address and project introduction, Dr. Hifza Rasheed, Director General PCRWR, highlighted the growing challenges of water scarcity, groundwater depletion, and water quality deterioration in Pakistan. She noted that the project would strengthen Pakistan’s capacity for integrated water resources management through real-time groundwater and surface water monitoring systems, modernized laboratory and research infrastructure, digital water information systems, and technical capacity building. She further emphasized that the initiative aligns with the National Water Policy 2018 and will support evidence-based decision-making for sustainable water resources management.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Je Ho Yeon, Country Director of the KOICA Pakistan Office, reaffirmed the Republic of Korea’s commitment to supporting sustainable development in Pakistan, highlighting that investments in digital research infrastructure and human capital are essential to improving water governance and sustainable water resource management in Pakistan.
Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Water Resources, Syed Ayaz Muhammad Haider, Director (Monitoring), welcomed the initiative and reiterated the Ministry’s full support for the project. He noted that the project would strengthen national capacity for data-driven water resources management and contribute to the implementation of the National Water Policy 2018. He also expressed the Ministry’s expectation that the initiative would significantly enhance the capacity of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to undertake effective groundwater management in Islamabad through the availability of reliable real-time groundwater data, development of a groundwater management framework, and improved decision-making tools for sustainable groundwater utilization.
The signing ceremony was attended by distinguished representatives, including Mr. Muhammad Aftab, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Economic Affairs; Sardar Khan Zimri, Director General (Water Management), Capital Development Authority (CDA; Mr. Akhtar Ahmad Almani, Chief Engineer, Public Health Engineering & Rural development Department (PHE&RDD), Government of Sindh, Karachi and Ms. Jennifer Ankrom Khan, Country Manager of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)