Janice R. Andrews
A vital water purification project in Jacobabad, Pakistan – one of Earth’s hottest inhabited places – faces potential collapse due to funding cuts enacted during the Trump administration. The USAID-funded facility, which provides clean water to 350,000 residents in a city where temperatures regularly soar above 50°C (122°F), is at risk after $1.5 million in promised support was blocked.
The project was originally part of a broader $66 million U.S. initiative to enhance municipal services in Pakistan’s Sindh province. HANDS, the Pakistani NGO managing the facility, has been forced to reduce staff and scale back operations. According to HANDS CEO Shaikh Tanveer Ahmed, local authorities lack the technical expertise to maintain the system independently.
The situation is particularly dire for Jacobabad, which already struggles with severe drought and increasingly intense heat waves. Residents now fear they may have to resort to private water tankers, which are both expensive and often provide contaminated water.
The crisis highlights a stark inequity: while Pakistan contributes less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, it ranks among the nations most severely impacted by climate change. Water security experts warn that the continued disruption of U.S. aid could leave thousands vulnerable as extreme weather conditions intensify.
