$124.26m WB, Dutch aid for water resources, AHIF
Wednesday, 10 October 2007
FE Report
Bangladesh will receive a total of US$124.26 million credit and grant from World Bank (WB) and the Netherlands for water resources management and Avian and Human Influenza Facility (AHIF) programmes, said a press release.
Out of the US$124.26 million, US$122.26 credit will be provided by the WB through its soft-lending window International Development Association (IDA) for water resources management and US$2.0 million for AHIF.
The government of the Netherlands is co-financing US$ 20 million as grant for water resources management. The Netherlands has been strongly engaged in the water sector in Bangladesh since 1975.
The government's support including the beneficiary contribution is about US$14.44 million.
Two separate agreements were signed between the government and the WB in this regard.
The government of the Netherlands is co-financing US$ 20 million as grant for water resources management. The Netherlands has been strongly engaged in the water sector in Bangladesh since 1975.
The government's support including the beneficiary contribution is about US$14.44 million.
Economic Relations Division (ERD) secretary M. Aminul Islam Bhuiyan and WB's Country Director Xian Zhu signed the agreements at the ERD at Agargaon on behalf of their respective sides.
It is estimated that two million households will benefit from the seven-year Water Management Improvement Project, designed to improve water management involving local communities in planning, design, operations and management. Crop losses are expected to be reduced during the pre-monsoon and monsoon periods and improved drainage and flood control and expansion of irrigation are likely to increase agricultural production.
In addition to rehabilitating and improving 102 existing flood control, drainage, and irrigation schemes through Water Management Organisations (WMOs), the project will also support measures to improve performance of another 98 existing schemes that do not require major rehabilitation.
The credit from the IDA, the WB's concessionary arm, has 40 years to maturity with a 10-year grace period; and it carries a service charge of 0.75 per cent.
The US$2.0 million grant will be used under Avian and Human Influenza Facility (AHIF) to support the country's efforts to minimise the threat and risk of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).
The AHIF is a multi-donor grant-making mechanism, administered by the WB.
On July 16 last, the AHIF awarded a US$ 2.0 million grant to the Bangladesh government for the Avian Influenza Preparedness and Response Project.
This was followed by an IDA credit agreement worth US$ 16 million signed also with the government on July 26 last.
AHIF is supported by the European Commission and eight other donor countries that include the United Kingdom, Australia, the Russian Federation, China, the Republic of Korea, Iceland, Slovenia and Estonia.
The purpose of AHIF is to minimise the risk and socio-economic impact of avian influenza and such other afflictions and of possible human pandemic influenza in developing countries lacking adequate domestic resources and capacity to prepare for, and combat, any onset of the disease.
"Specifically, it is designed to fill those financing needs and gaps that remain unmet from any loan, credit and grant assistance being made available from other sources," says a WB statement.
Bangladesh will receive a total of US$124.26 million credit and grant from World Bank (WB) and the Netherlands for water resources management and Avian and Human Influenza Facility (AHIF) programmes, said a press release.
Out of the US$124.26 million, US$122.26 credit will be provided by the WB through its soft-lending window International Development Association (IDA) for water resources management and US$2.0 million for AHIF.
The government of the Netherlands is co-financing US$ 20 million as grant for water resources management. The Netherlands has been strongly engaged in the water sector in Bangladesh since 1975.
The government's support including the beneficiary contribution is about US$14.44 million.
Two separate agreements were signed between the government and the WB in this regard.
The government of the Netherlands is co-financing US$ 20 million as grant for water resources management. The Netherlands has been strongly engaged in the water sector in Bangladesh since 1975.
The government's support including the beneficiary contribution is about US$14.44 million.
Economic Relations Division (ERD) secretary M. Aminul Islam Bhuiyan and WB's Country Director Xian Zhu signed the agreements at the ERD at Agargaon on behalf of their respective sides.
It is estimated that two million households will benefit from the seven-year Water Management Improvement Project, designed to improve water management involving local communities in planning, design, operations and management. Crop losses are expected to be reduced during the pre-monsoon and monsoon periods and improved drainage and flood control and expansion of irrigation are likely to increase agricultural production.
In addition to rehabilitating and improving 102 existing flood control, drainage, and irrigation schemes through Water Management Organisations (WMOs), the project will also support measures to improve performance of another 98 existing schemes that do not require major rehabilitation.
The credit from the IDA, the WB's concessionary arm, has 40 years to maturity with a 10-year grace period; and it carries a service charge of 0.75 per cent.
The US$2.0 million grant will be used under Avian and Human Influenza Facility (AHIF) to support the country's efforts to minimise the threat and risk of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).
The AHIF is a multi-donor grant-making mechanism, administered by the WB.
On July 16 last, the AHIF awarded a US$ 2.0 million grant to the Bangladesh government for the Avian Influenza Preparedness and Response Project.
This was followed by an IDA credit agreement worth US$ 16 million signed also with the government on July 26 last.
AHIF is supported by the European Commission and eight other donor countries that include the United Kingdom, Australia, the Russian Federation, China, the Republic of Korea, Iceland, Slovenia and Estonia.
The purpose of AHIF is to minimise the risk and socio-economic impact of avian influenza and such other afflictions and of possible human pandemic influenza in developing countries lacking adequate domestic resources and capacity to prepare for, and combat, any onset of the disease.
"Specifically, it is designed to fill those financing needs and gaps that remain unmet from any loan, credit and grant assistance being made available from other sources," says a WB statement.