$102.26m WB credit to help improve nat'l water resources management
Thursday, 20 September 2007
FE Report
The World Bank (WB) has approved a US$102.26 million credit to support Bangladesh government's efforts to improve national water resources management, said a WB press release.
The WB approved the loan in Washington DC Tuesday for the Water Management Improvement Project which is designed to enhance water management by expanding the role of local communities, from planning and design to operations and management.
It also aims to improve institutional performance of the country's principal water institutions - Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) and Water Resources Planning Organisation (WARPO), the press release added.
Two million households will benefit from the project. It is expected to reduce crop losses during the pre-monsoon and monsoon periods and increase agricultural production through improved drainage and flood control management and expansion of irrigation system.
Bangladesh is prone to recurring natural disasters like floods, river erosion, cyclones and tidal surges that result in human casualties and economic losses. Each year, up to 30 per cent of the country is inundated, flooding about six million hectares of land. People living in coastal and riverine areas in general are badly exposed to the dangers of natural disasters.
"As we have just learned from the recent devastating floods, management of water resources is critical to mitigate the impact of floods," said WB Country Director for Bangladesh Xian Zhu said.
"This project will support rehabilitation and improvement of existing flood control, drainage, and irrigation schemes, which will reduce the vulnerability to future natural disasters," Zhu added.
The project will support rehabilitation and improvement of about 102 existing flood control, drainage, and irrigation schemes and transfer their management to the local communities through Water Management Organizations (WMOs).
It will also support measures to improve performance of another 98 existing schemes that do not require major rehabilitation and have functioning WMO's or similar organisations.
"The long-term objective of the project is to institutionalise a participatory management process for improving performance of all feasible water schemes," said Masood Ahmad, World Bank Lead Water Resources Specialist and project team leader.
"Participation of all stakeholders, especially local communities, from the outset is crucial in order to promote sustainability and to ensure the long-term integration of social and environmental considerations," he added.
The World Bank (WB) has approved a US$102.26 million credit to support Bangladesh government's efforts to improve national water resources management, said a WB press release.
The WB approved the loan in Washington DC Tuesday for the Water Management Improvement Project which is designed to enhance water management by expanding the role of local communities, from planning and design to operations and management.
It also aims to improve institutional performance of the country's principal water institutions - Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) and Water Resources Planning Organisation (WARPO), the press release added.
Two million households will benefit from the project. It is expected to reduce crop losses during the pre-monsoon and monsoon periods and increase agricultural production through improved drainage and flood control management and expansion of irrigation system.
Bangladesh is prone to recurring natural disasters like floods, river erosion, cyclones and tidal surges that result in human casualties and economic losses. Each year, up to 30 per cent of the country is inundated, flooding about six million hectares of land. People living in coastal and riverine areas in general are badly exposed to the dangers of natural disasters.
"As we have just learned from the recent devastating floods, management of water resources is critical to mitigate the impact of floods," said WB Country Director for Bangladesh Xian Zhu said.
"This project will support rehabilitation and improvement of existing flood control, drainage, and irrigation schemes, which will reduce the vulnerability to future natural disasters," Zhu added.
The project will support rehabilitation and improvement of about 102 existing flood control, drainage, and irrigation schemes and transfer their management to the local communities through Water Management Organizations (WMOs).
It will also support measures to improve performance of another 98 existing schemes that do not require major rehabilitation and have functioning WMO's or similar organisations.
"The long-term objective of the project is to institutionalise a participatory management process for improving performance of all feasible water schemes," said Masood Ahmad, World Bank Lead Water Resources Specialist and project team leader.
"Participation of all stakeholders, especially local communities, from the outset is crucial in order to promote sustainability and to ensure the long-term integration of social and environmental considerations," he added.