The World Bank has approved $370 million (over 4,000 crore BDT) in financing to tackle the worsening water pollution crisis and overhaul sanitation systems in Dhaka and its surrounding areas.
The funding, confirmed by the World Bank’s Dhaka office on Wednesday (February 11), was greenlit during a meeting of the Board of Executive Directors at the organization’s headquarters. The initiative, titled the “Metro Dhaka Water Security and Resilience” program, aims to breathe life back into the city’s biologically endangered rivers and canals.
Key Project Objectives
The program is designed to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) and various city corporations. The primary goals include:
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Pollution Reduction: Minimizing the discharge of untreated waste into waterways.
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Restoration: Recovering the navigability and natural flow of rivers and canals.
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Service Expansion: Providing improved sanitation to 550,000 people and enhanced waste management services to 500,000 residents, focusing on the most underserved and polluted neighborhoods.
A Looming Health and Economic Crisis
According to World Bank data, the greater Dhaka region accounts for nearly one-third of Bangladesh’s GDP and half of its formal employment. However, rapid and unplanned urbanization has pushed the city’s infrastructure to a breaking point.
“Waterbodies are the lifeline for millions of people in Dhaka,” said Jean Pesme, World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan. “This project will establish the institutional foundation needed to restore the health of these vital ecosystems, which have been severely impacted by broken waste management systems.”
The scale of the challenge is significant:
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Sewerage Gap: Only 20% of Dhaka residents are currently covered by a piped sewerage system.
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Untreated Waste: Over 80% of the city’s untreated sewage flows directly into rivers.
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Industrial Impact: Approximately 8,000 export-oriented garment factories operate in the area. Around 7,000 of these release an estimated 2,400 million liters of untreated wastewater daily, contributing to a rise in skin diseases, diarrhea, and neurological complications.
Innovative Solutions and Monitoring
The program introduces modern technology and private sector involvement to ensure long-term sustainability. Harsh Goyal, World Bank Senior Water Specialist and Task Team Leader, noted that the project is part of a phased, long-term strategy.
| Feature | Implementation Plan |
| Target Areas | Initial phase focuses on specific zones in Dhaka and Narayanganj. |
| Digital Monitoring | Real-time digital systems to track river water quality. |
| Industrial ETPs | Mobilizing private sector investment for Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs). |
| Public Awareness | Campaigns to discourage illegal dumping into drains and rivers. |
The project also aims to modernize recycling methods and upgrade primary waste collection to ensure that trash is intercepted before it reaches the city’s “Blue Network” of waterways.
