ADB approves water resources project

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FE Report
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved the second phase of 'Small-Scale Water Resources Development Sector II: Bangladesh' project, sources said.
Of total project cost of US$58.7 million, the ADB will provide loan worth $34 million. Besides, the government of the Netherlands will offer $24.3 million as grant and the government of Japan $0.4 million as technical assistance.
The sources said the objective of the project is to develop small-scale water resources infrastructures for improvement of the sustainability of water resources, especially for agriculture.
It will directly involve women through the establishment of Water Management Cooperative Associations (WMCAs), which will engage them in the selection, design, implementation, and operations and maintenance of such water management system.
The project aims to improve livelihood and reduce poverty by undertaking a further 300 sub-projects in both eastern and western parts of the country.
This effort is based on lessons learned from the ongoing Small-Scale Water Resources Development Sector Project (SSWRDSP) that has been successfully implemented under 300 sub-projects in the western part of the country.
The project will assist stakeholders to form water management associations and to upgrade water management facilities including (i) flood management, (ii) drainage improvement, (iii) water conservation, and (iv) command area development.
The challenge is to manage the water by keeping it out of the agricultural areas during perennial floods and getting the excess water out of the agricultural area, and by providing irrigation during the dry season.
Targeting 280,000 farming households, or 1.7 million people of 61 districts, the project aims to increase awareness and conduct training courses in conservation of water and improvement of productivity of land, wetlands, and water bodies for agriculture.
The overall goal of the project is to promote sustainable growth of rural incomes by sector-wise policy and institutional reforms.