Three projects totaling US$1.16 billion have been approved by the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors to assist Bangladesh in enhancing water and sanitation facilities, improving health services, and achieving more environmentally friendly and climate-resilient development.
“Bangladesh is among the most vulnerable countries to climate change and faces the greatest pollution challenges. Improving climate resilience in every sector and tackling the pollution scourge has become a critical development priority,” said Abdoulaye Seck, World Bank (WB) Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan.
“These new financing will bring to the people of Bangladesh essential services such as health and water and sanitation while laying the foundation for clean, climate resilient and sustainable development,” he added.
According to a WB press release issued here today, the $500 million Second Bangladesh Green and Climate Resilient Development Credit would fund reforms to aid in the nation’s shift to green and climate-resilient development.
The funding encourages clean and resource-efficient production and services in important sectors and supports policy changes to enhance public planning, financing, and implementation of green and climate-resilient initiatives at the local and national levels.
The Planning Commission has approved the Multi-Year Public Investment Programme Guidelines for important sectors, which are incorporated into the Medium-Term Budget Framework, as a requirement for the credit.
Additionally, initiatives to lower air pollution, strengthen environmental enforcement, increase access to carbon markets, improve sustainable water and sanitation services, boost the effectiveness of the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100, and promote a sustainable and climate-resilient environment are supported by the funding.
The Planning Division has adopted the Delta Appraisal Framework in order to carry out the Delta Plan in an efficient manner. Additionally, the funding encourages environmentally and socially responsible public procurement.
It will further help improve the energy efficiency of buildings andapplianPromote and encourage the building industry to use more environmentally friendly practices.
In Sylhet and Chattogram divisions, the $379 million Health, Nutrition, and Population Sector Development Program-For-Results will contribute to the development of robust health systems and better access to high-quality nutrition and health services.
Approximately 5.1 million people will receive high-quality population, nutrition, and health services from it. By increasing the frequency of deliveries—both normal and caesarian section—in public health institutions, the program will contribute to a decrease in maternal and newborn mortality.
It will guarantee that the most climate-risk districts’ most vulnerable women are served. In order to successfully address changing health needs, such as diagnosing and treating hypertension and other illnesses, the initiative will also fortify the healthcare system.
In addition to the World Bank funding, the government will receive a $25 million grant from the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children, and Adolescents (GFF) to help prioritize interventions like data use and coordination, quality maternal and newborn care, adolescent health, and child nutrition.
More than a million Chattogram residents will have access to clean water thanks to the $280 million Chattogram Water Supply Improvement Project, which will install new and renovated piped water connections.
About 100,000 people in low-income communities will receive better sanitation services, and roughly 200,000 new household water connections will be constructed.
In order to offer Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services to about 100 million people in the region by 2035, the World Bank South Asia is supporting this project as part of a regional effort or series of projects.
Additionally, it will assist the Chattogram Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (CWASA) in addressing water loss-related problems like excessive leakage, inaccurate metering, and unauthorized connections, as well as enhancing operational effectiveness and financial sustainability.
Through the installation of new water meters and the activation of 46 Smart District Metered Areas (DMAs) for dependable water supply, leak detection, and real-time tracking of water consumption, the project will contribute to the reduction of water losses.
In addition to strengthening CWASA’s ability for long-term infrastructure and business planning systems, data management, asset management, communication strategy, and disaster preparedness, it will also help to improve utility systems, financial performance, and creditworthiness covering tariff roadmap.
One of the earliest development partners to assist Bangladesh after gaining independence was the World Bank.
In order to assist the nation in addressing its development priorities, the World Bank has since provided more than $45 billion in International Development Association (IDA) financing in the form of grants, interest-free loans, and concessional credits. Bangladesh has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of interest-free World Bank borrowing in recent years.
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