JICA, CDA and Islamabad Water Sign MoM to Develop Comprehensive Water, Sewerage and Drainage Master Plan

Islamabad, September 14, 2026 — The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Capital Development Authority (CDA), and Islamabad Water (IW) signed the Minutes of Meeting (MoM) to formulate a “Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage Master Plan in Islamabad” at CDA Headquarters, marking a significant step toward addressing the capital’s long-overdue need for comprehensive urban water infrastructure planning.

Background

The Islamabad Capital Territory, divided into Zones 1–5, had a population of approximately 2.36 million according to the 2023 census. Despite this substantial and growing population, no comprehensive master plan for water supply, sewerage and drainage has been prepared since the original Islamabad urban master plan was developed in 1960 — leaving the capital’s water infrastructure planning significantly outdated relative to its current scale and needs.

Responsibility for these essential services was returned to CDA in 2024, following which Islamabad Water (IW) was established as an integrated utility service provider for the capital. As a newly formed entity, IW requires institutional, technical, operational and financial capacity development to effectively manage water supply, sewerage and drainage services across the growing city.

Signing Ceremony

The Minutes of Meeting were signed by Lt. (Retd.) Sohail Ashraf, Chairman of CDA Islamabad; Mr. Sardar Khan Zimri, Director General of Islamabad Water; and Mr. Miyagawa Masahito, Team Leader of the Detailed Planning Survey Team at JICA Headquarters. The agreement formally sets in motion a collaborative process to develop the master plan needed to guide Islamabad’s water infrastructure development for decades to come.

Project Significance

Through this project, Japan and JICA have reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Pakistan’s efforts toward sustainable water management and the financial sustainability of urban utilities. The initiative reflects a broader pattern of Japanese technical cooperation with Pakistan’s water sector, building on JICA’s established expertise in urban water planning to help IW develop the institutional and technical capacity it needs as a newly established utility.

Conclusion

The signing of this MoM marks the formal beginning of a much-needed planning process for Islamabad’s water supply, sewerage and drainage systems — the first comprehensive update since the city’s original master plan more than six decades ago. As Islamabad Water continues to build its institutional and operational capacity following its recent establishment, this collaboration with JICA and CDA is expected to lay the technical groundwork for more sustainable, better-coordinated water management across the capital, supporting the needs of a population that has grown far beyond what the original 1960s planning ever anticipated.