Aga Khan Foundation, Bank Alfalah Launch Flood Recovery in Gilgit-Baltistan
The Aga Khan Foundation Pakistan, in collaboration with Bank Alfalah, has initiated a comprehensive flood rehabilitation programme aimed at restoring vital infrastructure and enhancing resilience in communities affected by the recent monsoon floods in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Following the destructive floods of August 2025, the project will be implemented alongside the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat, Focus Humanitarian Assistance, and the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme. Key development partners involved include the Asian Development Bank, Global Affairs Canada, the European Union, and Concern Worldwide, representatives of which attended the launch event along with the UAE Ambassador to Pakistan, Salem Mohammed Alzaabi, and leadership from Bank Alfalah and Aga Khan institutions.
The Rs. 57.05 million rehabilitation initiative is funded through a Rs. 50 million grant from Bank Alfalah, complemented by Rs. 7.05 million from the Aga Khan Foundation Pakistan. It aims to directly benefit over 10,600 people and indirectly support nearly 13,000 residents in the Gilgit, Ghizer, and Hunza districts.
Core interventions of the programme include the restoration of drinking water supply systems, rehabilitation of irrigation channels, the construction of flood protection infrastructure, and the replenishment of emergency shelter stocks. The initiative also emphasizes replenishing winterized tents to bolster disaster preparedness in high-risk valleys across the region.
Bank Alfalah’s President and CEO, Atif Bajwa, highlighted the bank’s commitment to responsible banking and community support through this partnership. Meanwhile, representatives from the Aga Khan Foundation underscored the initiative’s dual focus on rebuilding damaged infrastructure and strengthening the long-term resilience of vulnerable communities to future climate-related events.
This collaborative effort reflects growing recognition of the need for sustainable and disaster-resilient development strategies in Pakistan’s flood-prone mountainous regions, where infrastructure and livelihoods remain at high risk from recurring climatic challenges.