The World Bank has approved a loan of $1.16 billion or about Tk 13,920 crore for the development of Bangladesh under three programs. The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved the loan on Thursday (December 19). The loan is being provided to Bangladesh to improve health services, improve water and sanitation services, and implement green and climate-resilient development activities.
Three programs will be conducted under this scheme, the organization’s Dhaka office said in a statement on Friday (December 20).
“Bangladesh is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. It also faces the greatest pollution challenges. Improving climate resilience in every sector and addressing pollution disasters has become a key development priority,” said Abdullaye Sek, World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan. “This new financing will improve essential services such as health, water and sanitation for the people of Bangladesh, thereby laying the foundation for clean, climate-resilient and sustainable development.”
The release said that the $500 million ‘Second Bangladesh Green and Climate Resilient Development Credit’ will support reforms to support the country’s transition to green and climate-resilient development. The financing supports policy reforms to improve public planning, financing and implementation of green and climate-resilient interventions at the local and national levels, and promotes clean and resource-efficient production and services in key sectors. As a precondition for the loan, the Planning Commission has adopted multi-year public investment program guidelines for key sectors integrated with the medium-term budget framework.
It further stated that the financing supports policies to reduce air pollution, improve environmental performance, expand access to carbon markets, improve sustainable water and sanitation services, enhance the effectiveness of the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100, and promote a climate-resilient and sustainable environment. To effectively implement the Delta Plan, the Planning Department has adopted the Delta Assessment Framework. The financing supports sustainable public procurement by incorporating environmental and social considerations. It will improve the energy efficiency of buildings and equipment and encourage the construction sector to become greener.
In addition, the $379 million ‘Health, Nutrition and Population Sector Development Program’ will help improve people’s access to quality health and nutrition services and build resilient health systems in Sylhet and Chittagong divisions. It will provide quality health, nutrition and population services to about 5.1 million people. The program will help reduce maternal and newborn mortality by increasing the number of births in public health facilities, both normal and cesarean section deliveries. It will ensure that vulnerable women in the most climate-vulnerable districts are reached. The program will strengthen health systems to effectively respond to growing health needs, such as screening and treatment of high blood pressure and other conditions. In addition to the World Bank financing, the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents is providing a catalytic $25 million grant to support child nutrition, adolescent health, quality maternal and newborn care, data use, and coordination.
The $280 million Chittagong Water Supply Improvement Project will provide safe water to more than 1.1 million people in Chittagong through new and rehabilitated piped water connections, the release said. It will provide water connections to about 200,000 new households and improved sanitation services to about 100,000 people in low-income communities. The project is part of the World Bank’s South Asia Regional Initiative to provide water, sanitation, and hygiene services to about 100 million people in the region by 2035.