ISLAMABAD — The World Bank has proposed a $540.25 million water and sanitation programme for rural Sindh, aimed at improving access to safe drinking water and sanitation services for around 1.5 million people.
The Sindh Transformational Accelerated Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Services Phase 1 project, known as STAR-WASH-1, is being prepared with support from international development partners.
The proposed financing includes $300 million from the World Bank, — layout: article title: “World Bank Proposes $540m Rural Water and Sanitation Project for Sindh” category: “Pakistan” author: “Pakistan Report Editorial Desk” description: “The proposed STAR-WASH-1 programme would combine World Bank, Asian Development Bank and provincial financing to expand safer water and sanitation services across rural Sindh.” published: true image: “/assets/images/sindh-rural-water-sanitation.png” image_alt: “AI-generated Pakistan Report editorial illustration of rural water and sanitation infrastructure in Sindh, with workers installing a pipeline near village water facilities.” date: 2026-09-27 15:30:00 +0500 — 50 million from the Asian Development Bank and $90 million in counterpart funding, alongside a small remaining financing gap.
The programme is designed to expand water and sanitation services across 16 of Sindh’s 23 districts. Project targets include basic water access for approximately 1.5 million residents, safely managed drinking water for around 750,000 people and improved sanitation services for 1.5 million.
Planned works include village water-supply schemes, household connections, drainage and wastewater management. The project also envisages solar-powered facilities and measures to improve water quality, with canal water and other freshwater sources forming an important part of the supply strategy.
The initiative responds to major gaps in rural services. World Bank project material indicates that only 29% of Sindh’s rural population has access to safely managed drinking water.
The programme also includes plans to improve the operation and maintenance of water systems through water-quality monitoring, dedicated funding arrangements and stronger provincial oversight.
STAR-WASH-1 remains a proposed project, with financing and implementation to proceed through the relevant approval processes.