TDS Desk:

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has signed two technical cooperation projects with the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) for solid waste management and air pollution management.

This falls under the JICA’s thematic strategies for global development ‘JICA Clean City Initiative’ (JCCI), one of JICA’s major global agendas.

It aims to enhance waste management and air pollution management in developing nations to realise ‘clean cities’ in urban areas in a comprehensive and sustainable manner, said a media release on Tuesday.

The projects were signed on Monday by Miura Mari, senior representative, JICA Bangladesh; AKM Shahabuddin, additional secretary, Economic Relations Division; Dr Md Aminur Rahman, additional secretary, Local Government Division; Dr Abdul Hamid, director general, Department of Environment; and Lubna Yasmine, joint secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

JICA has been supporting the solid waste management sector in Dhaka and Chattogram for a long time.

The bilateral aid agency is also going to start cooperating with the Department of Environment to develop its capacity for proper monitoring and management of air pollution in the whole nation.

JICA has signed the Project for the Capacity Improvement for Air Quality Control with the Economic Relations Division, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Department of Environment.

The aid agency has been actively working to achieve environmental quality in developing a sustainable society in Bangladesh as a partner country. Now, these projects are expected to support the organisation in focusing on the cluster target areas of improvement of waste management and sound environment quality, through which JICA aims to improve the urban environment to make the cities of Bangladesh more sustainable.