The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved $182 million in additional financing to expand its support for strengthening Assam’s resilience to chronic flooding and severe riverbank erosion along the Brahmaputra River.
The funding supplements the ongoing $200 million ADB-supported Climate Resilient Brahmaputra Integrated Flood and Riverbank Erosion Risk Management Project in Assam, which was approved in October 2023. The project introduced a holistic, risk-informed approach to tackling longstanding flood and erosion problems that have contributed to rural poverty, loss of livelihoods, and recurring displacement across the state.
The financing will enhance knowledge-based river management through flood risk maps, asset condition surveys, erosion prediction models, flood forecasting and early warning systems, and more
“This additional financing will help Assam advance its goals of becoming a disaster-resilient state, mitigating riverbank erosion and flooding, and protecting high-risk communities along the Brahmaputra River in Assam,” said ADB Country Director for India Mio Oka.
The funding will extend integrated flood and riverbank erosion risk management measures into four additional high-priority reaches of the Brahmaputra River. It is expected to directly benefit about 600,000 rural residents, particularly poor households, women, and other disadvantaged groups.
Under the expanded scope, the project will construct 63.5 kilometers of riverbank protection, undertake adaptive and emergency works to strengthen existing structures, and install pro-siltation measures to promote sediment deposition and reclaim eroded land. Disaster-resilient flood embankments will be upgraded and widened, while nature-based solutions, such as reed propagation and wetland restoration, will be implemented to reduce erosion and flooding and improve ecological resilience.
The financing will enhance knowledge-based river management through flood risk maps, asset condition surveys, erosion prediction models, flood forecasting and early warning systems, maintenance planning, and community disaster preparedness programs. These efforts will further help Assam adopt long-term, hazard resilient river stabilization strategies.
The financing will also strengthen the livelihoods and resilience of vulnerable riverine communities through women-focused livelihood support, disaster-resilient agriculture, vocational training, and upgraded rural markets. Women’s economic empowerment remains a central feature of the project, providing targeted assistance for self-help groups, youth skills development, and market-driven business planning.
