UNB, Yokohama (Japan) :
As the Asia and the Pacific region faces a water crisis with its demand being projected to see about 55 percent rise by 2050, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is going to double its funding on water security issues in 2017 of which Bangladesh is likely to get a good chunk.
“The ADB’s assistance in the pipeline in the water sector for 2017 for the Asia and the Pacific region will be $4.2 billion which was $2.4 billion last year,” said Amy Leung, Deputy Director General and Chief Thematic Officer of the ADB, at a briefing on ‘Securing Asia’s Water’ at the Pacifico Yokohama on Wednesday prior to the launching of the 50th Annual Meeting of the ADB billed for May 4-7, 2017.
As breakup for the sub sectors, the Manila-based lending agency is going to provide the highest 38 percent of its overall allocation, totaling $ 1.5 billion, for the water sector in the current year to irrigation and drainage followed by 35 percent or $ 1.4 billion to water supply, sanitation and waste management.
Of the allocation, the hydropower generation will get around 13 percent or $ 530 million, followed by the water resources, management, wetlands, and watershed protection with 9 percent or $365 million and flood management with 6 percent of $256 million.
According to the Country Operations Business Plan (COBP) of ADB for Bangladesh for the year 2017-2019, the multilateral lending agency is likely to come up with around $990 million assistance against seven priority projects on water security over the next three years.
Of these, the ADB has made an overall allocation of $ 250 million for Bangladesh in 2017, including
$ 100 million for the flood and riverbank erosion risk management investment programme (tranche 2) followed by $ 150 million for the 3rd urban governance and infrastructure improvement project (additional financing).
For the next year, Bangladesh is set to get $ 150 million ADB financing for the city region economic development investment programme (tranche 1) followed by $ 210 million for the rural infrastructure maintenance programme.
The ADB will come up with $ 80 million assistance for the flood and riverbank risk management investment programme (tranche 3), followed by $ 150 million assistance each for the Ganges-Kobadakh irrigation project and for Dhaka Sewerage Management System Development Project in the year of 2019.
Highlighting the water security issues in the Asia and the Pacific region, Amy Leung said its people are facing a critical situation on water security as the water demand is projected to increase by 55 percent in the region by 2050 due to the growing demand from the domestic and industrial sector.
She also said, by this time, the demand of food will grow by 50 percent while that of energy by 66 percent. “The population growth alongside economic growth will increase the demand of water,” she said adding, “It’s very urgent that we need to have coordinated efforts on water.”
Noting that climate finance is still very low by the ADB which was only $ 518 million in adaptation and $ 33 million in mitigation in 2016, Amy said this is one area where the ADB is looking forward to provide much more support.
Quoting the Asian Water Development Outlook (AWDO) for 2016, she said with increasing climate vulnerability, up to 3.4 billion people could be living in water-stressed areas of Asia by 2050.
As the Asia and the Pacific region faces a water crisis with its demand being projected to see about 55 percent rise by 2050, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is going to double its funding on water security issues in 2017 of which Bangladesh is likely to get a good chunk.
“The ADB’s assistance in the pipeline in the water sector for 2017 for the Asia and the Pacific region will be $4.2 billion which was $2.4 billion last year,” said Amy Leung, Deputy Director General and Chief Thematic Officer of the ADB, at a briefing on ‘Securing Asia’s Water’ at the Pacifico Yokohama on Wednesday prior to the launching of the 50th Annual Meeting of the ADB billed for May 4-7, 2017.
As breakup for the sub sectors, the Manila-based lending agency is going to provide the highest 38 percent of its overall allocation, totaling $ 1.5 billion, for the water sector in the current year to irrigation and drainage followed by 35 percent or $ 1.4 billion to water supply, sanitation and waste management.
Of the allocation, the hydropower generation will get around 13 percent or $ 530 million, followed by the water resources, management, wetlands, and watershed protection with 9 percent or $365 million and flood management with 6 percent of $256 million.
According to the Country Operations Business Plan (COBP) of ADB for Bangladesh for the year 2017-2019, the multilateral lending agency is likely to come up with around $990 million assistance against seven priority projects on water security over the next three years.
Of these, the ADB has made an overall allocation of $ 250 million for Bangladesh in 2017, including
$ 100 million for the flood and riverbank erosion risk management investment programme (tranche 2) followed by $ 150 million for the 3rd urban governance and infrastructure improvement project (additional financing).
For the next year, Bangladesh is set to get $ 150 million ADB financing for the city region economic development investment programme (tranche 1) followed by $ 210 million for the rural infrastructure maintenance programme.
The ADB will come up with $ 80 million assistance for the flood and riverbank risk management investment programme (tranche 3), followed by $ 150 million assistance each for the Ganges-Kobadakh irrigation project and for Dhaka Sewerage Management System Development Project in the year of 2019.
Highlighting the water security issues in the Asia and the Pacific region, Amy Leung said its people are facing a critical situation on water security as the water demand is projected to increase by 55 percent in the region by 2050 due to the growing demand from the domestic and industrial sector.
She also said, by this time, the demand of food will grow by 50 percent while that of energy by 66 percent. “The population growth alongside economic growth will increase the demand of water,” she said adding, “It’s very urgent that we need to have coordinated efforts on water.”
Noting that climate finance is still very low by the ADB which was only $ 518 million in adaptation and $ 33 million in mitigation in 2016, Amy said this is one area where the ADB is looking forward to provide much more support.
Quoting the Asian Water Development Outlook (AWDO) for 2016, she said with increasing climate vulnerability, up to 3.4 billion people could be living in water-stressed areas of Asia by 2050.
