Guwahati: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved an additional $182 million loan to scale up flood and riverbank erosion protection along the Brahmaputra River in Assam, expanding one of the region’s largest climate adaptation projects.
The fresh financing increases the total project size to $487 million, with ADB contributing $382 million and the Assam Government providing $105 million.
The additional support will extend riverbank protection works to new stretches of the Brahmaputra and strengthen climate-resilient flood infrastructure across vulnerable districts.
ADB President Masato Kanda recommended approval of the loan to the Board, which cleared the financing on January 15, 2026.
The project builds on earlier ADB-backed flood and erosion management programmes in Assam and aligns with India’s broader climate resilience and disaster risk reduction goals.
The project aims to protect thousands of hectares of agricultural and residential land from recurring erosion and floods—a long-standing crisis in Assam. Since the 1950 Assam earthquake, the Brahmaputra has widened significantly, eroding nearly 195,000 hectares of land and affecting large parts of the state. Flooding and erosion continue to displace communities annually, particularly in riverine districts.
Under the expanded financing, authorities will construct 63.5 km of new riverbank protection, undertake emergency strengthening works, rehabilitate and widen embankments, install pro-siltation measures, revive wetlands, and pilot nature-based solutions to stabilise vulnerable stretches of the river.
Of the $182 million additional financing, nearly $162 million is earmarked for climate adaptation, reflecting the project’s emphasis on strengthening resilience against increasingly extreme flood events linked to climate change.
Measures include enhanced erosion protection, embankment strengthening, adaptive maintenance systems, and community-based disaster preparedness.
The implementation period runs from February 2026 to September 2029, with the loan closing date set for March 31, 2030.
Beyond infrastructure, the project includes a strong livelihood and social protection component. It is categorised by ADB as having a Gender Equality Objective, with targeted support for women-led households and disadvantaged communities.
Plans include establishing weaving centres, vocational training for youth, climate-resilient agricultural initiatives, upgrading rural markets, and supporting self-help groups in erosion-prone districts.
The expanded project is expected to directly improve the livelihoods of around 600,000 rural residents, particularly the poor, women, and vulnerable groups living along embankments and char areas.
The additional works will require the acquisition of over 240 hectares of land and may affect nearly 1,000 households, with resettlement and indigenous peoples’ plans prepared under ADB safeguard norms.
Authorities said compensation and rehabilitation measures are built into the project design.
ADB’s economic assessment estimates the project’s internal rate of return at 15.3 per cent, with reduced land loss and flood mitigation accounting for more than 80 per cent of projected benefits. The loan carries a 20-year tenure, including a five-year grace period.
With climate risks intensifying across the Brahmaputra basin, the expanded financing marks one of the most significant multilaterally supported river stabilisation initiatives currently under way in Northeast India.
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