ISLAMABAD, Wednesday, Feb 11, 2026 (WNP): The Government of Japan, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in a major step toward safeguarding education against climate-induced disasters, signed key agreements to strengthen the disaster resilience of educational infrastructure in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province on Wednesday.

The Exchange of Notes and Grant Agreement were signed during a ceremony in Islamabad for the project titled “Strengthen the Disaster Resilience of Educational Infrastructure in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.”

The initiative will be implemented with a Japanese government grant of JPY 427 million, equivalent to approximately USD 2.7 million.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, due to its mountainous terrain and climatic conditions, remains highly vulnerable to climate-driven hazards. Severe cloudbursts and flash floods in 2025 caused extensive damage to public infrastructure, including 437 schools, with Swat and Buner districts among the worst affected. The destruction severely disrupted learning for thousands of children, particularly in remote and flood-prone communities.

Under the new project, flood-damaged schools in Swat and Buner will be rehabilitated and retrofitted to withstand future disasters. The initiative aims to restore safe, resilient and functional learning environments by strengthening school structures, improving ventilation and natural lighting, and reinstating gender-sensitive water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities. Special emphasis will be placed on ensuring privacy, dignity and accessibility for girls and children with disabilities.

Addressing the ceremony, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, Akamatsu Shuichi, reaffirmed Japan’s long-standing partnership with Pakistan and its commitment to the country’s resilience agenda. He emphasized that investing in disaster-resilient school infrastructure is essential to protecting children and ensuring the continuity of education amid increasing climate risks.

Kazuko Ishigaki, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific at UN-Habitat, highlighted the organization’s role in delivering safer and more inclusive learning environments. She noted that the retrofitted schools would provide structurally secure classrooms, improved ventilation and essential WASH services, enabling children to learn in conditions of safety, confidence and dignity. She added that by positioning schools as hubs for disaster preparedness and response, the project would also benefit surrounding communities by strengthening local emergency response and first-aid capacities.

Sugawara Takayuki, Senior Representative of JICA, said the project reflects JICA’s disaster risk reduction approach centered on the concept of “Build Back Better.” He stressed that rebuilding infrastructure to higher resilience standards is critical to avoiding repeated losses in future disasters and is key to achieving sustainable economic and social development.

United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mohamed Yahya expressed appreciation to the Government of Japan and JICA for their continued partnership with Pakistan and the United Nations system. He noted that the initiative aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework and supports Pakistan’s implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, with a strong focus on protecting the most vulnerable populations.

By combining disaster-resilient construction with targeted training on preparedness and response, the project is expected to significantly reduce the loss of life, the number of people affected, and economic damage caused by natural disasters. The initiative marks a critical investment in human security, climate resilience and the right to education for children in flood-affected communities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.