B'desh receives 1.16 bn USD World Bank financing for inclusive, climate-resilient development

Dhaka, Dec 22 (IANS) The World Bank approved three operations totaling 1.16 billion USD to help Bangladesh improve health services, water and sanitation services and achieve greener and climate-resilient development.

"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," Abdoulaye Seck, World Bank country director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, said in a statement received here Friday, as Bangladesh is among the most vulnerable countries to climate change and faces the greatest pollution challenges.

According to the Washington-based lender, the 500-million-dollar Second Bangladesh Green and Climate Resilient Development Credit will support reforms to help the country's transition to green and climate-resilient development, Xinhua news agency reported.

The 379-million-dollar Health, Nutrition, and Population Sector Development Program-For-Results will help improve access to quality health and nutrition services and build resilient health systems in Sylhet and Chattogram divisions.

The 280-million-dollar Chattogram Water Supply Improvement Project will provide safe water through new and rehabilitated piped water connections to over 1 million people in Chattogram.

It will build about 200,000 new household water connections and provide improved sanitation services to about 100,000 people in low-income communities.

This project is part of a World Bank South Asia regional initiative or program of programs to provide Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services to about 100 million people across the region by 2035.

The project will also help the Chattogram Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (CWASA) improve operational efficiency and financial sustainability and address issues related to water loss such as high levels of leakage, metering inaccuracies, and illegal connections.

It will help reduce water losses by installing new water meters and operationalising 46 Smart District Metered Areas (DMAs) for reliable water supply, leakage detection, and real-time tracking of water consumption.

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