Staff Reporter :
The Government of Bangladesh on Monday signed a $375 million loan agreement with World Bank (WB) for implementing the ‘Multipurpose Disaster Shelter Project’.
Mohammad Mejbahuddin, Senior Secretary, Economic Relations Division (ERD), and Johannes Zutt, Country Director of WB, signed the deal on behalf of their respective sides at the ERD secretariat in the city.
Under the Project, the government will construct 552 new multipurpose disaster shelters, improve 450 existing ones, and to build connecting roads and communication networks in nine coastal districts.
The districts are Barisal, Bhola, Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Feni, Laxmipur, Noakhali, Pirojpur and Patuakhali.
Officials said the project will benefit 14 million coastal populations living in the front line of climate change. The project will introduce steel shelter designs for the first time in Bangladesh for improved construction quality and durability.
“The geographical location makes Bangladesh prone to floods and cyclones, and climate change could increase the frequency and intensity of these extreme weather events,” said Johannes Zutt,
WB Country Director for Bangladesh. The project will build and upgrade shelters to reduce the vulnerability of people living in coastal areas and help Bangladesh build a long term disaster resiliency, he added.
The shelters have been designed in such a way that they will serve as primary schools throughout the whole year, and provide safe haven to local community during natural disasters. The shelters will be able to protect people from strong wind and high tidal waves.
“In the last decade, Bangladesh successfully created a growing network of cyclone shelters and the community-based early warning system that saved lives and assets during natural disasters,” said Mohammad Mejbahuddin.
“The Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP) calls for the repair and construction of additional shelters in the coastal zones as priority basis. The project will help Bangladesh improve disaster preparedness and risk reduction.”
The project will build and improve multipurpose disaster shelters in nine coastal districts, which are identified as high priority locations in a recent assessment done by the government.
The credit from WB has a 38-year term, including a six years grace period, and a service charge of 0.75 percent.
The Government of Bangladesh on Monday signed a $375 million loan agreement with World Bank (WB) for implementing the ‘Multipurpose Disaster Shelter Project’.
Mohammad Mejbahuddin, Senior Secretary, Economic Relations Division (ERD), and Johannes Zutt, Country Director of WB, signed the deal on behalf of their respective sides at the ERD secretariat in the city.
Under the Project, the government will construct 552 new multipurpose disaster shelters, improve 450 existing ones, and to build connecting roads and communication networks in nine coastal districts.
The districts are Barisal, Bhola, Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Feni, Laxmipur, Noakhali, Pirojpur and Patuakhali.
Officials said the project will benefit 14 million coastal populations living in the front line of climate change. The project will introduce steel shelter designs for the first time in Bangladesh for improved construction quality and durability.
“The geographical location makes Bangladesh prone to floods and cyclones, and climate change could increase the frequency and intensity of these extreme weather events,” said Johannes Zutt,
WB Country Director for Bangladesh. The project will build and upgrade shelters to reduce the vulnerability of people living in coastal areas and help Bangladesh build a long term disaster resiliency, he added.
The shelters have been designed in such a way that they will serve as primary schools throughout the whole year, and provide safe haven to local community during natural disasters. The shelters will be able to protect people from strong wind and high tidal waves.
“In the last decade, Bangladesh successfully created a growing network of cyclone shelters and the community-based early warning system that saved lives and assets during natural disasters,” said Mohammad Mejbahuddin.
“The Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP) calls for the repair and construction of additional shelters in the coastal zones as priority basis. The project will help Bangladesh improve disaster preparedness and risk reduction.”
The project will build and improve multipurpose disaster shelters in nine coastal districts, which are identified as high priority locations in a recent assessment done by the government.
The credit from WB has a 38-year term, including a six years grace period, and a service charge of 0.75 percent.
