Staff Reporter :
The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved three operations worth $1.16 billion to support Bangladesh’s development goals, focusing on health services, water and sanitation, and climate resilience.
The approval includes a $500 million credit for Bangladesh’s Green and Climate Resilient Development programme, aimed at helping the country transition to more sustainable and climate-resilient development.
Abdoulaye Seck, the World Bank’s Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, highlighted Bangladesh’s vulnerability to climate change and pollution, noting that improving resilience in every sector is now a critical priority.
The financing will also support the reduction of air pollution, better environmental enforcement, and enhanced access to carbon markets.
A key condition for the credit is the adoption of the Multi-Year Public Investment Program Guidelines by the Planning Commission, which has integrated these with the Medium-Term Budget Framework.
The financing will improve services such as health, water, and sanitation while laying the foundation for sustainable development.
Additionally, the World Bank approved a $379 million credit for the Health, Nutrition, and Population Sector Development Programme, which aims to enhance access to quality health and nutrition services and strengthen health systems in Sylhet and Chattogram divisions.
The programme will benefit approximately 5.1 million people, focusing on reducing maternal and neonatal mortality and increasing the number of births in public health facilities, including Caesarean section deliveries.
Alongside this, the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents (GFF) will provide a $25 million grant to support interventions in child nutrition, adolescent health, and quality maternal and newborn care.
Lastly, a $280 million credit was approved for the Chattogram Water Supply Improvement Project, which will provide safe water and sanitation services to over a million people in Chattogram. This initiative will install 200,000 new water connections and improve sanitation for 100,000 people in low-income communities.
These three initiatives are part of the World Bank’s broader support for Bangladesh, having committed over $45 billion in grants and loans since the country’s independence to assist with its development priorities.
