$245 Million World Bank Loan to Strengthen Himachal’s Infrastructure Approved
Himachal Pradesh, battered by extreme weather and billion-dollar losses in recent years, is set to rebuild stronger with fresh support from the World Bank. On Wednesday, the institution approved $245 million for a project aimed at creating resilient infrastructure and empowering community-owned businesses.
The state has faced devastating monsoon seasons in 2023 and 2025, which claimed lives, damaged homes and roads, and disrupted schools, markets, and farms. The new initiative—Resilient Action for Development and Disaster Recovery Himachal Pradesh—will help reduce future disaster risks through smarter planning and sturdier infrastructure.
More than one million women are expected to benefit from improved access to services and livelihood opportunities in farming, handicrafts, and rural tourism. The program will also support 12,000 people with better jobs and new market connections, while mobilizing $100 million in private capital for disaster-risk financing and insurance.
“By investing in sustainable infrastructure that connects people to opportunities, this project will help Himachal Pradesh build back better,” said Paul Procee, Acting Country Director for World Bank India.
In partnership with the French Development Agency, the project will strengthen early warning systems and draw on global expertise through the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. Rehabilitation of over 250 bridges, roads, and footbridges is planned, directly benefiting more than a million residents.
This marks a significant step toward not just recovery, but long-term resilience for Himachal’s communities.
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