World Bank finances $100m for sanitation in municipalities in Bangladesh

The government of Bangladesh today signed a $100 million financing agreement with the World Bank to ensure improved water supply, sanitation, and drainage system in selected 30 municipalities.

The agreement was signed by Monowar Ahmed and Mercy Tembon on behalf of the government of Bangladesh and the World Bank at the Economic Relations Division.

The agreement will benefit about 600,000 people. 

The Municipal Water Supply and Sanitation Project will provide safe piped water to residents of the selected municipalities that currently do not have piped water facilities.

The project will facilitate public-private partnerships and help build infrastructures, including water treatment facility, water storage, transmission and distribution of piped networks, water connections to houses with meters, as well as improved sanitation facilities in slums and low-income areas.

Mercy Tembon, World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, said, "Today, more and more people are living in cities, creating an urgent demand for quality urban infrastructures, including water and sanitation services." 

She added that this project will help people living in small towns, including the slum dwellers to get piped water, and improved sanitation and drainage services.

Mercy elaborated that access to clean water will save many women's time that is otherwise spent on collecting water from other resources and their children's health will also improve, resulting in better school attendance.

Secretary, Economic Relations Division, Government of Bangladesh Monowar Ahmed, said, "In the Sector Development Plan and the National Strategy for Water Supply and Sanitation, the government has aimed for 85 to 90 percent piped water supply coverage in municipalities by 2025."

"The project will help the municipalities have a greater capacity to manage and deliver water and sanitation services."

The project will also help construct public toilets. It will invest in septage management and disposal, as well as provide training for cleaning workers in fecal sludge management. It will also identify and mitigate measures for critical areas prone to flooding.

To facilitate citizen's feedback, the project will develop mobile apps IT-enabled complaint redressal systems and annual citizen surveys.