By Ayesha Saba

Five Asian Development Bank-funded projects have been proposed for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in green public transport, Swat basin management, climate-resilient agriculture and rural road connectivity, carrying total commitments of $961 million, according to an official document available with Wealth Pakistan.

The projects scheduled to be executed in 2028 include the $300 million Swat Basin Management Project and $150 million in additional financing for the KP Rural Roads Development Project.

The Swat Basin project falls under the agriculture, food, nature and rural development component, while the rural roads scheme is classified under transport. The loan type for the two projects is listed in the document as concessional lending.

The development pipeline also places a sizeable emphasis on cleaner urban mobility. The Green Public Transport in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cities project, programmed for 2027, carries an ADB commitment of $300 million.

Of the total financing for the green transport project, $100 million is listed as concessional lending and $200 million as ordinary capital resources (market-based lending). The document identifies the scheme as a transport-sector project.

Two initiatives are also listed for 2026 in agriculture and water resource development.

The largest of these is the KP Resilient Irrigated Agriculture Livelihoods Development Project, carrying a proposed ADB commitment of $206 million, entirely under concessional lending. The project falls under the agriculture, food, nature and rural development sector.

A further $5 million has been listed for the Preparing Water Resources Development Sector Project in KP in 2026. The initiative is classified as Project Readiness Financing, with the full amount under concessional lending.

Alongside the ADB pipeline, the document also lists the Kaitu Weir Irrigation Project Stage-I under the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The agriculture-sector project is to be implemented by On-farm Water Management. It is listed as a loan with a committed amount of €17.626 million, equivalent to $20.31 million in the document. Its signing date is stated as “upon signing of the loan agreement.”

The emerging pipeline indicates that KP's forthcoming externally supported development programme is being positioned around productive agriculture, improved water management, greener urban transport and stronger rural connectivity, with major proposed investments extending through 2028.

Credit: INP-WealthPk