Staff Correspondent:

The World Bank will provide $300 million to assist the clean air project in Bangladesh, said Syeda Rizwana Hasan, environment advisor to the interim government.

The initiative has been taken to strengthen air quality management in the country and to reduce the carbon emissions in key sectors, she said.

The advisor shared the information following a meeting with Martin Raiser, the World Bank’s vice president for the South Asia Region, and Abdoulaye Seck, country director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, according to a press statement.

Rizwana urged the World Bank to prepare a ‘Blue Network’ to assist the waste management system and recover the canals in Dhaka.

Besides the loss and damage fund, she mentioned assistance for the National Adaptation Plan (NAP).

She highlighted the government’s pledge to ensure environment protection and sustainable development, and also a coordinated system for better water resources management and mitigation of the effects of climate change.

Raiser praised Bangladesh’s efforts to implement a progressive environmental policy and assured that the World Bank would provide its support to match the effort with best practices around the world.

Meanwhile, Seck emphasised the need for international cooperation and strategic investment to achieve long-term sustainable goals.

The meeting ended with a pledge of strong cooperation in environmental governance, climate resilience, and water resources management to propel Bangladesh to a sustainable future, the statement said.

The project will be implemented under World Bank funding (IDA credit). There is also a possibility for Bangladesh to receive a separate grant through the clean cooking initiative, a part of the national Air Quality Management Plan.