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ADB provides $135m addl loan for environmentally sustainable water supply
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the government of Bangladesh today signed agreements for $135 million in additional loans to improve quality of inclusive water supply services and promote environmentally sustainable surface water supply in Dhaka.
The assistance will provide additional support to the ongoing $674.9 million Dhaka Environmentally Sustainable Water Supply Project, which has $250 million contribution from ADB, $64 million from Agence Française de Développement, $136 million from the European Investment Bank, and the remaining $224.9 million from the government of Bangladesh.
Fatima Yasmin, Secretary, Economic Relations Division (ERD), and Edimon Ginting, Country Director, ADB, signed the loan agreements on behalf of Bangladesh and ADB, respectively at the ERD in the capital, said a press release.
"The project supports the policies and strategies of Bangladesh and ADB for climate resilient urban development, more livable cities, green growth, and environmental sustainability," said Country Director Edimon Ginting.
"We will continue to focus on lowering nonrevenue water, transitioning to surface water sources, tariff rationalization, capacity development, protecting water intake rivers, and transformative empowerment of women and vulnerable groups to offer more efficient and quality water services in Bangladesh," Ginting added.
The additional assistance will finance new schemes including a surface water intake, raw water transmission line, a water treatment plant, treated water transmission line, and primary and secondary distribution lines, in addition to improving the existing distribution network as part of continued efforts to reduce non-revenue water.
The new schemes will switch the water source from ground to more environmentally sustainable surface water with climate-resilient features.
A $5 million new grant from ADB's Asian Development Fund will support the project for robust gender empowerment by improving women's access to basic infrastructure and social services including in the low-income communities.