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       ISLAMABAD: The World Bank-financed ‘Pakistan Hydromet and Climate Services Project’ has concluded, but without delivering several of its originally planned components, including weather radars, automatic weather stations and observatories, according to the project’s completion report.

       The report reveals that during in June 2020, the hydro-meteorological and climate change services component was initially scaled back and later dropped.

       Activities aimed at improving the service delivery capacity of the Pakistan Meteorological Department, private sector engagement and mitigation of seismic and glacial hazards were also removed from the plan.

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       Although the original project financing of $188m, approved in 2018, remained unchanged after the first restructuring, the second restructuring in June 2023 reduced the total budget to $168m due to exchange rate fluctuations. Despite this, the project was completed within the original budget, albeit after an 18-month extension — an outcome the Bank attributes to efficient resource utilisation.

       However, the project underwent two significant restructurings, in June 2020 and June 2023, that altered both its objectives and scope.

       Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2025