2020 World Bank Office Dhaka The World Bank Plot- E-32, Agargaon, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka-1207 1818 H Street, NW Washington, DC 20433 Bangladesh USA Tel: 880-2-5566-7777 Tel: 1-202-473-1000 Fax: 880-2-5566-7778 Fax: 1-207-477-6391 www.worldbank.org/bangladesh www.worldbank.org Standard disclaimer: This volume is a product of the staff of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper do not necessarily reflect the views of the Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of the World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Copyright statement: The material in this publication is copyrighted. The World Bank encourages dissemination of its work and will normally grant permission to reproduce portion of the work promptly. Photo credit: A.K.M. Shehab Uddin, Arne Hoel, Asiatic JWT, David Waldorf, DRIK, Ismail Ferdous, K M Asad, Mahfuzul Hasan Bhuiyan, Mehrin Ahmed Mahbub, Nadia Sharmin, Priyani Malik, Shilpa Banerji, Tanvir Murad Topu Designed by Mohammad Inamul Shahriar and Report published by Progressive Printers Pvt. Ltd. FOREWORD Bangladesh is known for its success in reducing poverty and boosting shared prosperity for all its people. It has shown the world it is possible within only four decades to rise from extreme poverty to achieve lower middle-income status. Bangladesh has cut extreme poverty in half in record time and is among the few developing countries to achieve gender parity in school enrollment. Despite being severely affected by climate change, it has been a frontrunner in adaptation and disaster preparedness. It has become the world’s second largest ready-made garments exporter after China. The World Bank Group is proud to be a partner in this remarkable journey. The World Bank is among Bangladesh’s early development partners and since independence has provided more than $30 billion in financing. Currently, Bangladesh has the largest program under the International Development Association, the World Bank’s fund for the poorest countries. This program includes human development, infrastructure, urban development, climate change, agriculture, among others. The results of the partnership are visible: according to the World Bank’s Human Capital Index, Bangladesh performed better than the South Asian average as well as the Lower Middle-Income average in all criteria except for stunting. With more educated and skilled youth, higher incomes, better infrastructure and healthier citizens, Bangladesh has all the ingredients to make its vision of becoming an upper middle-income country by 2031 into a reality. But there is no room for complacency; while successes are many, challenges are also formidable. The World Bank Group’s Country Partnership Framework (FY16-21)—which is aligned with national priorities—supports Bangladesh’s growth aspirations. The World Bank has identified five transformational priorities where a concerted effort will have the greatest impact on sustainable growth and job creation—energy, inland connectivity, regional and global integration, urbanization, and adaptive delta management. Further, it will build on the foundational priorities such as macroeconomic stability, human development, and institutional and business environment, where Bangladesh is doing well and would benefit from continued strong performance. Guided by these priorities and building on a strong existing partnership, the World Bank’s current engagement includes a robust program of technical and financial support to help Bangladesh achieve its vision of becoming an upper middle-income country. Bangladesh has shown great generosity in providing shelter to the displaced Rohingya population. To help the country deal with the influx—a crisis of unprecedented scale and size—the World Bank has mobilized nearly half a billion dollars in grants, of which $240 million, including a $13 million grant from Canada, has been already approved to provide for the health, learning and basic service needs of the Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar District. The pages of this publication provide a glimpse of the World Bank projects in Bangladesh. I hope you will enjoy reading some of the stories of the country’s development successes and feel inspired to see that with a strong commitment and sound policies, Bangladesh can provide its people a better and brighter future. MERCY MIYANG TEMBON Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan The World Bank AGRICULTURE 4 BANGLADESH MODERN FOOD STORAGE FACILITIES PROJECT 6 NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM II 8 LIVESTOCK AND DAIRY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT 10 NUTON JIBON LIVELIHOOD IMPROVEMENT PROJECT 12 EDUCATION 14 REACHING OUT-OF-SCHOOL CHILDREN II PROJECT 16 COLLEGE EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT PROJECT 18 QUALITY LEARNING FOR ALL PROGRAM 20 TRANSFORMING SECONDARY EDUCATION FOR RESULTS OPERATION 22 CONTENTS ENERGY GHORASHAL UNIT 4 REPOWERING PROJECT 24 26 SCALING-UP RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECT 28 RURAL ELECTRICITY TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION PROJECT 30 ENHANCEMENT AND STRENGTHENING OF POWER TRANSMISSION 32 NETWORK IN EASTERN REGION PROJECT POWER SYSTEM RELIABILITY AND EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT 34 RURAL ELECTRIFICATION AND RENEWABLE 36 ENERGY DEVELOPMENT II PROJECT ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES 38 SUSTAINABLE COASTAL AND MARINE FISHERIES PROJECT 40 SUSTAINABLE ENTERPRISE PROJECT 42 SUSTAINABLE FORESTS & LIVELIHOODS PROJECT 44 FINANCE, COMPETITIVENESS AND INNOVATION 46 SOCIAL, URBAN, RURAL AND RESILIENCE 90 INSURANCE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECT 48 MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE AND SERVICES PROJECT 92 INVESTMENT PROMOTION AND FINANCING FACILITY PROJECT II 50 BANGLADESH URBAN RESILIENCE PROJECT 94 PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT PROJECT 52 BANGLADESH WEATHER AND CLIMATE SERVICES REGIONAL PROJECT 96 EXPORT COMPETITIVENESS FOR JOBS PROJECT 54 COASTAL EMBANKMENT IMPROVEMENT PROJECT I 98 FINANCIAL SECTOR SUPPORT PROJECT 56 DHAKA CITY NEIGHBORHOOD UPGRADING PROJECT 100 PRIVATE INVESTMENT & DIGITAL ENTERPRENEURSHIP PROJECT 58 LOCAL GOVERNANCE SUPPORT PROJECT - 3 102 LOW INCOME COMMUNITY HOUSING SUPPORT PROJECT 104 GOVERNANCE 60 MULTIPURPOSE DISASTER SHELTER PROJECT 106 STRENGTHENING PFM PROGRAM TO ENABLE SERVICE DELIVERY PROJECT 62 DIGITIZING IMPLEMENTATION MONITORING AND PUBLIC PROCUREMENT PROJECT 64 TRANSPORT 108 REVENUE MOBILIZATION PROGRAM FOR RESULTS: VAT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM 66 BANGLADESH REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY PROJECT 1 110 ENHANCING DIGITAL GOVERNMENT & ECONOMY PROJECT 68 BANGLADESH REGIONAL WATERWAY TRANSPORT PROJECT 1 112 OPERATION FOR SUPPORTING RURAL BRIDGES PROJECT 114 HEALTH, NUTRITION & POPULATION 70 SECOND RURAL TRANSPORT IMPROVEMENT PROJECT 116 COVID-19 EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS PROJECT 72 WESTERN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR AND REGIONAL ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM 118 HEALTH SECTOR SUPPORT PROJECT 74 WATER 120 POVERTY AND EQUITY 76 BANGLADESH MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION PROJECT 122 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR DEVELOPMENT OF STATISTICS 78 CHITTAGONG WATER SUPPLY IMPROVEMENT AND SANITATION PROJECT 124 IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT PROJECT DHAKA SANITATION IMPROVEMENT PROJECT 126 SOCIAL PROTECTION 80 SUPPORT TO DEAL WITH ROHINGYA INFLUX 128 SECOND PROGRAMMATIC JOBS DEVELOPMENT POLICY CREDIT 82 EMERGENCY MULTI-SECTOR ROHINGYA CRISIS RESPONSE PROJECT 130 CASH TRANSFER MODERNIZATION PROJECT 84 ADDITIONAL FINANCING TO REACHING OUT-OF-SCHOOL CHILDREN II PROJECT 132 INCOME SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR THE POOREST PROJECT 86 ADDITIONAL FINANCING TO HEALTH SECTOR SUPPORT PROJECT 134 SAFETY NET SYSTEMS FOR THE POOREST PROJECT 88 HEALTH AND GENDER SUPPORT PROJECT FOR COX’S BAZAR DISTRICT 136 AGRICULTURE MODERN FOOD STORAGE FACILITIES PROJECT ENSURING FOOD SECURITY AFTER NATURAL DISASTERS APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION December 30 October 31 $412 million DG FOOD OF MINISTRY OF FOOD 2013 2023 OVERVIEW Due to its geographical position, Bangladesh remains vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters, which often cause damage to the country’s infrastructure and agricultural sectors. The poor are most vulnerable to natural disasters and face difficulty in ensuring steady food supply in the aftermath of natural disasters. Ensuring food and nutrition security for the vast number of poor and vulnerable, particularly women and children in rural areas remains a challenge. As nearly 70 percent of Bangladesh’s population lives in rural areas, climate shocks and stresses have particularly negative implications on their food, livelihood security, and welfare. 6 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE FUTURE The Public Food Distribution System is a core element of the Government of Bangladesh’s food security With strengthened capacity for improving stock strategy. Public food distribution and strategic grain reserves currently rely on 670 central and local storage management in the modern silos, and comprehensive depots (“godowns”) with a total effective capacity of about 1.6 million tons. Most of these godowns are analyses for enhancing the overall policy framework on old and poorly maintained, leading to physical losses in grain stored (about 17- 20 percent in value terms) strategic grain reserves, GoB will be in a position to make and in its nutritional value. In the next five to seven years, the physical condition of many conventional sound and informed decisions as it reconciles the three godowns will deteriorate, leading a 35 to 40 percent decline in its effective storage capacity by 2020. The strategic objectives that impact the domestic food market: 2007/08 world food price shock and temporary disruption of rice imports from India led to lesser reliance (i) supporting the poor and vulnerable through effective on international markets and more focus on increased public cereal stocks, domestic procurement and Social Safety Net programs; (ii) improving the country’s public distribution and planed investments in expanded grain storage and drying facilities to store rice for disaster preparedness to meet food security needs caused longer periods without major quality deterioration. This confirms the needs for scaling-up construction of by disaster-induced food shortages; and (iii) devising non- silos within the country. If these silos would have been operationalized, the vulnerabilities of the availability distortive market interventions for food price stabilization, of food grain during 2017 floods in Bangladesh would have been substantially reduced. mainly for coarse grain consumed by the poor and vulnerable. APPROACH The Modern Food Storage Facilities Project aims to increase the grain reserve available to households to meet their post-disaster needs and improve the efficiency of grain storage management. The project is helping construct eight public modern grain storage steel silos in eight strategic locations comprising six for rice and two for wheat and also support the distribution of 500,000 smaller household silos to poorest and marginal farmers, and women-headed vulnerable households. The project will improve efficiency of grain storage management and delivery in GoB’s (food-based) social safety net programs and ensure long-term preservation of grain quality without the use of any chemical, pesticides and preservatives. It also supports development of Food Planning and Monitoring Program (FPMP) to modernize the monitoring and management system of food storage as well as to develop and implement a food policy research agenda covering grain storage and distribution. EXPECTED RESULTS 8 steel silos to be constructed with a storage 50% Reduction in grain storage and handling capacity for 535,500 tons of rice and wheat losses in public storage facilities THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 7 NATIONAL AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM II FARM TO TABLE WITH BETTER TECHNOLOGY APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCY BASIC June 5 June 30 $176.06 million Ministry of Agriculture, INFORMATION 2015 2021 Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock OVERVIEW Bangladesh has done remarkably well in improving agricultural productivity. Around 70 percent people in Bangladesh live in rural areas and over 47 percent of the country’s total labour force are engaged in agriculture. Agriculture occupies around three-quarters of Bangladesh’s land and supports the livelihoods of the majority of rural people. Hence, achieving economic growth and reducing poverty require policies and investments conducive to lasting transformational changes in rural areas including technological innovation in agriculture. The National Agriculture Technology Program (NATP II) aims to support the government’s strategic priorities in agriculture by increasing agriculture productivity and improving farmers’ access to markets. Small-scale farmers will benefit from stronger linkages with research, on-farm demonstrations of improved technologies, training and skills development, agricultural extension services, and co-funding productive assets. 8 CHALLENGE TOWARDS Smallholder farmers account for over 80 percent of the country’s rural population. However, agriculture’s contribution to THE FUTURE Bangladesh’s economy has declined overtime: the share of agriculture in total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has declined from The project will 28 percent in 1990 to 13 percent in 2018. This, in turn, has contributed to a decline in employment growth. Further, frequent demonstrate the natural disasters severely affects the agriculture sector. opportunity for diversification of Besides inadequate research, recurrent natural disasters and deficiencies in technology hinder improvements in agricultural agricultural production productivity. Weak integration and poor linkages with more profitable value chains stymie private investments. Small and achieve target results landholders, especially women, lack access to finance for basic investments required to integrate with more profitable value/ in productivity growth, supply chains and the modern retail sector. A large gap remains between the commodity value farmers get and ultimate retail market access, jobs, value. Lengthy supply chains persist with poor linkages among chain participants, information asymmetry and post-harvest nutrition and resilience. deterioration. There is a need to integrate climate smart agriculture (CSA) with agricultural sector development strategies for a coherent roadmap to deal with climate risk. APPROACH NATP II supports government’s strategic priorities in agriculture by helping improve productivity and food security, and adaptation to climate change. The project is implemented in 57 districts targeting small and marginal farmers, especially women. NATP II seeks to strengthen the capacity of the National Agricultural Research System (NARS) and extension services to generate demand driven new and improved agricultural technologies. It contributes to increasing farm yields and diversifying agricultural production by improving agricultural research and extension. The project also supports modern farm practices to increase farm productivity and reduce post-harvest losses. The project targets to increase 14 to 100 percent average annual yields of select commodities. The project is focused on market-oriented production, and on small and marginal farmers’ access to and participation in markets. This includes enhancing capacity of value chain actors, investing on value-adding activities, alliance building with private sector, etc. The project also introduced an Agriculture Innovation Fund for research and adoption of innovative technologies. EXPECTED RESULTS Over 1 million farmers (over 190 competitive research grants sub-projects 30 commodity and marketing 35% are female) mobilized into have been implemented through which 64 possible centers established with about 40523 Common Interest Groups technologies are in the process of being generated 4,303 tons of product sold so far THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 9 LIVESTOCK AND DAIRY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT INCREASE IN LIVESTOCK PRODUCTIVITY ENSURING BETTER NUTRITION FOR CITIZENS APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION December 06 December 06 $500 million Department of Livestock Services (DLS) of 2018 2023 Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock (MoFL) OVERVIEW Agriculture (crops, livestock, forestry and fisheries) is featured prominently in the Government of Bangladesh’s 7th Five-Year Plan and is expected to play an important role in reducing poverty and accelerating growth. This will require achieving productivity gains, diversification, value addition and agro-processing, along with climate change adaptation strategies. Livestock is an important socio-economic component of agriculture and accounts for 1.7 percent of the economy’s Gross Domestic Product. But, it employs only 14 percent of the total labor force. Over 70 percent of rural households are engaged in livestock production which contributes a large share of the smallholder and landless farmers’ livelihoods. Most poor rural households raise livestock which provide power for cropping, transport, threshing and oilseed crushing; manure, as source of fertilizer and fuel; a ready source of cash, as well as dairy and meat for consumption. Livestock provides business opportunities for smallholders. The Livestock and Dairy Development Project aims to improve livestock and dairy production in Bangladesh so that the country can meet growing demand for egg, meat and milk and thereby improve the nutritional intake of its citizens. 10 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE FUTURE By 2020, the government aims to triple the production of livestock related products in order to feed The project will enhance the business environment and the growing population. In Bangladesh, livestock productivity is low due to poor animal husbandry facilitate trade in meat and dairy products through value practices; low penetration of high-yielding breeds; and shortage of feed and fodder. Mixed livestock chain development and addressing key bottlenecks. The production systems predominate, and animals are generally stall-fed or grazed around the homestead in project will also increase the availability of clean energy in small family-based production units. Livestock value-chains are largely informal. Livestock supply chains rural areas. It will also improve the overall ecosystem for depend on smallholder producers, who practice subsistence farming and do not have the capacity to value chain development by financing key infrastructures gain from the opportunities that a growing market demand for animal products presents. including markets, and providing access to markets, insurance and financial products and services, and capacity building for both smallholder organizations and public agencies, while supporting policy reforms APPROACH and contributing to research and knowledge. The Livestock and Dairy Development Project supports government’s plan to scale-up climate smart investments in livestock. Growth in livestock productivity potentially leads to job creation for women, youth, and other vulnerable. The project aims to improve productivity, market access, and resilience of small-holder farmers and agro-entrepreneurs operating in selected livestock value chains in target areas. For this, the project will help: (i) upgrade livestock production systems and increase productivity and efficiency; (ii) support value chain development and integration in the markets with participation of private sector; and (iii) enhance resilience of farmers and entrepreneurs to risks and shocks. Resilience will address risks related to climate, financial shocks, animal health, food safety, and zoonotic diseases. Resilience will be strengthened by mainstreaming climate smart agriculture (CSA) practices, implementing measures that improve food/feed safety, and developing livestock insurance. The project will include the following species: cattle, buffalo, goats, sheep and chicken. They are strategic for both food security and nutritional supply as well as for their comparative advantage on the regional markets and income generation potential for the farmers. EXPECTED RESULTS 500,000 farmers 35% increase in productivity 50% increase in market access 150,000 farmers and value to adopt improved of targeted species by direct through increased sales in meat and chain actors to adopt practices to agricultural technology beneficiaries dairy products and live animals improve resilience THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 11 NUTON JIBON LIVELIHOOD IMPROVEMENT PROJECT A NEW LIFE FOR THE RURAL POOR APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION February 25 June 30 $220 million Social Development Foundation 2015 2021 OVERVIEW While Bangladesh had successfully reduced extreme poverty in rural areas from 37.9 percent in 2000 to 21.1 percent in 2010, – still rural poverty is almost three times that of urban areas. Extreme poverty continues to be a rural phenomenon with majority of the poor residing in rural areas, where agriculture remains the primary source of livelihood for the rural economy. The Nuton Jibon Livelihood Improvement Project aims to improve the livelihoods of the poor and extreme poor in selected rural areas. 12 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE FUTURE Poverty rates in Bangladesh have declined at an impressive rate over the past decade with improved health The project substantiated that increased income leads outcomes, living conditions for the poor, lowered child mortality, and overall improved safety net coverage. In to change in overall food consumption and dietary spite of these achievements, a number of challenges remain. Poverty assessment reveals, increases in the share diversification as measured by increased diversity of the working population and rising labor incomes mainly contributed to the decline in poverty over the past in diets. Average household consumption increased decade. Almost half of the poverty decline was due to growth in farm incomes. The assessment also found that by 39 percent for milk and dairy products, and by poor households living in the poorest regions are less able to cope with shocks. Addressing rural poverty and food 49 percent for meat and egg. This evidence was fully security issues thus remain as the critical policy priorities to ensure inclusive and pro-poor growth. conceptualized in the next operation, “Nuton Jibon Livelihood Improvement Project 3” by linking livelihood angle with quality food APPROACH consumption. As a third phase of an ongoing program initiated over 10 years ago, the project continues to provide support to 3,200 villages supported under the Social Investment Program Project II through second generation institutions and producer group support. The Nuton Jibon Livelihood Improvement Project targets around 2,500 new villages covering 12 districts and is expected to benefit 500,000 poor and extreme poor households, comprising of about 2.25 million people. The project provides livelihood support and enables access to market through business partnerships to empower the rural communities. It helps mobilize the poor and extreme poor people, who often remain left out from micro credit schemes, by building and strengthening community institutions including Nuton Jibon Community Societies. In addition, the project shares nutrition and agricultural knowledge and focuses on enhancing youth skills. The project also funds small scale rural infrastructure. RESULTS 41,849 jobs 30% – 50% increase in income of 432,919 members 90,527 producers mobilized into 5,561 producer were created who took loans from village revolving loan fund groups accessing input and output markets 92% of village institutions met the criteria of Of the 3.4 million direct 99% of male and 98% of female unemployed youth were transparency, inclusiveness, and accountability beneficiaries, 94% were women gainfully self- employed after receiving skills training 92% of targeted households benefitted 89% of completed community 10 major business partnerships were from improved community infrastructure or infrastructure subprojects were operated established through public/private social services sub-projects and maintained by communities partnerships with communities THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 13 EDUCATION REACHING OUT-OF-SCHOOL CHILDREN II PROJECT A SECOND CHANCE TO EDUCATION APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCY: BASIC INFORMATION October 2 June 30 $155 million Ministry of Primary and Mass Education 2012 2021 OVERVIEW Bangladesh has achieved near universal access to primary education and gender equity at the primary and secondary school enrolments. Yet, many school-aged children, from the poorest families, either do not enrol in or discontinue school, due to poverty. Following the Government’s vision of ‘education for all’, the Reaching Out- of- School Children (ROSC) II project provides a VOICES second-chance education to out-of-school children in targeted rural upazilas (sub-districts) My daughter now goes to the and urban slums. The project builds upon the experiences of both public schools and Ananda School. I am happy, we the women, NGO education, blending formal education with non-formal means of delivery have a say in our children’s education. for young learners. It gives them an opportunity to complete grade five and transition to secondary school and provides pre-vocational skills Nazma training to youth who have dropped out. a proud mother 16 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE In 2010, nearly 5.6 million children aged 6 to13 were out of school in Bangladesh. These children missed out FUTURE schooling at the “right age” or were forced to drop out, mainly for poverty. Many of them could not afford uniforms, Built on the predecessor project, books, or transportation to go to school, or had to earn a living for the family. These children were deprived of ROSC II covers additional 100 more education, which reduces their chances of finding higher-paid jobs that could lift them and their families out of poverty. upazilas and aims to bring 720,000 out-of-school children to school in 148 most disadvantaged remote upazilas. The project has rolled out four pilot APPROACH programs—scaling up of second chance ROSC II allows the poorest children, who otherwise may miss education, to study in learning centres, called Ananda education for children from urban slums Schools (‘schools of joy’). These schools provide stipends to eligible children to ease the burden on their families, and and pre-vocational skills training for provides free books, stationeries and uniforms. The Ananda schools are established in upazilas with high poverty and low older students, while evaluating pilot enrolment and completion rates. interventions targeting child domestic workers, and developing early reading Ananda Schools are different from normal primary schools: here, the students are older (between 8- to 14-year olds); habits for ROSC students. ROSC II will school timing is flexible; and a single class teacher teaches the students until they are ready for the Grade 5 examination, strengthen the internal monitoring allowing the poor children to join the secondary schools. The local communities establish, own and manage Ananda capacity of the ROSCU through a revised Schools with support from the government and the local NGOs. The Centre Management Committees (CMC) are field level management structure. Through accountable to parents and students and the ROSC Unit (ROSCU), the Directorate of Primary Education. Since January an additional financing grant, ROSC II 2017, ROSC-II has been expanded to cover the poorest children in slums in 11 City Corporations. It pilots a Pre-Vocational aims to help Bangladesh provide learning Skills Training program, for adolescents who have completed at least grade 3 but are aged 15 and above and not enrolled opportunities to Rohingya children and in regular schools. They receive allowance and tuition vouchers to participate in market-responsive skills training provide pre-vocational training to affected programs. With technical assistance from Save the Children, ROSC II deploys service providers (NGOs) to provide training— youth and adolescents. in selected trades and enterprise development—who establish industry linkage with potential employers. RESULTS 690,000 out-of-school children—half of them are girls—enrolled 48,000 children enrolled 16,500 ROSC graduates in 20,400 Ananda Schools in 148 most disadvantaged upazilas, in 1,600 Learning Centres in received skills training for covering about one- third of the country urban slum areas self-employment 86% of the 80% of all ROSC schoolteachers are 12,277 teachers 4,000 CMC members classes attended women and nearly 90% of all school received foundation trained for the operation and by students management committee heads are women training management of LCs THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 17 COLLEGE EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT PROJECT PATHWAY TO ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCY BASIC June 3 December 31 $130 million National University and University Grants INFORMATION 2016 2023 Commission, Ministry of Education OVERVIEW Improving skills and productivity are crucial to Bangladesh’s quest to accelerate economic growth and become an upper middle-income country. However, the current skill levels of the labor force are unlikely to support future market demands. While there is an abundance of low-skilled workers, there is a strong demand for graduates with higher cognitive and non-cognitive skills and job- specific technical skills. This requires improvements in the quality and relevance of tertiary education. For this, the education institutions must be equipped to produce competent graduates. In this backdrop, the College Education Development Project (CEDP) aims to improve the education and management in the National University-affiliated colleges in Bangladesh. 18 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE Around 1.6 million students or nearly two-thirds of all tertiary students are currently enrolled in graduate and masters FUTURE level in the 1,731 government and non-government colleges affiliated with the National University (NU). Given their size and The Project is expected to extensive network, it is critical to bring about the quantitative and qualitative improvements in these colleges to ensure develop a pool of Master Trainers better employability of the students. However, the college sub-sector suffers from a myriad of deeply rooted challenges, as a core driver of professional including (a) weak planning, governance, and management practices; (b) poor quality and relevance of teaching and development programs for all learning; (c) inadequate resources and inefficient financial management; and (d) limited access. This limits the scope and college teachers in Bangladesh. quality of the learning environment in order to produce globally competitive college graduates. Award of Institutional Development Grant is expected to start by July 2019. APPROACH As the first World Bank project in the subsector, CEDP focuses on building the NU college system’s capacity to plan, manage, implement, and monitor their institutional programs. It also aims to strengthen the strategic planning and management capacity of the colleges. CEDP also helps develop the first-ever Strategic Plan for the College subsector to provide guidance to policymakers, academia, and college administrators in achieving the country’s goals in higher education. The project will also provide competitive Institutional Development Grants (IDGs) to participating colleges to improve the teaching and learning environment by improving internet connectivity; developing market-relevant soft skills of the students and linking them with employers; introducing quality assurance; and strengthening management capacity and upgrading the fiduciary systems in colleges. CEDP will also facilitate teacher trainings through establishing a Training Consortium, which will comprise of national training agencies and the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus as an international partner to ensure global best practices in teachers training. The project will also fill teacher vacancies in government colleges and improve recruitment process in non-government colleges. EXPECTED RESULTS BY 2022 The first Strategic Over 100 competitive institutional Around 8,000 teachers and Around 2,700 vacant Plan for the College development grants will be awarded to managers will recieve professional teacher posts will be filled Subsector prepared government and non-government colleges development trainings in government colleges THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 19 QUALITY LEARNING FOR ALL PROGRAM FULFILLING EDUCATION’S PROMISE APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: IDA COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION June 14 June 30 $700 million Directorate of Primary Education, Ministry of Primary 2018 2023 and Mass Education OVERVIEW Education develops children’s latent capabilities, contributes to a skilled workforce and acts as a powerful tool for reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity and boosting economic growth. Accordingly, enhancing the coverage and quality of basic education is a high priority for the Government of Bangladesh. The Quality Learning for All Program (QLEAP) is supporting the government’s Fourth Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP4: 2018-23), which is a sector-wide program covering grades 1 through 5 and one year of pre-primary education. QLEAP aims to help improve the education quality and ensure equitable access to primary education. 20 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE Bangladesh has a net enrolment rate of around 98 percent and achieved gender parity in enrolment in primary FUTURE education. It has also improved system efficiency. For example, the primary education cycle completion rate increased to 81.2 QLEAP will contribute to percent in 2017 from 60.2 percent in 2010. But, quality of education still remains an issue. Bangladesh’s long-term objective of human capital National student assessments show low learning outcomes in grades 3 and 5. School readiness of children at primary school development for poverty entry remains a challenge. Many schools are overcrowded and operate double-shifts resulting in inadequate contact hours. reduction and economic Teacher qualifications and motivation remain low and classroom teaching have much room for improvement. Despite the growth. The objectives of progress bringing almost all children to primary schools, around 2.5 million children aged 6-14 years remain out-of-school. Apart QLEAP align with the SDG from service delivery challenges at the school level, the sector also faces system issues such as inadequate financing, constraints goals of providing free, to management decentralization and weak local capacity. equitable and quality primary education for all and ensuring universal access to quality APPROACH early childhood development, care and pre-primary Building on the success of predecessor PEDP3 in using results-based financing within the investment project financing education. framework, QLEAP uses the Program for Results (PforR) financing instrument, which means 100 percent of World Bank financing under QLEAP is linked with results achieved on the ground and disbursed after program targets associated with a set of key The Bangladesh government indicators have been met. The indicators cover three broad results areas: quality; equitable access and participation; and has recently indicated that management, governance and financing. it will extend pre-primary education to 2 years –a The Project will help improve learning by developing a stronger curriculum, improvements in textbooks and exam system, reform that is likely to have a creating a well-trained teacher pool, using ICT in education and regular systematic assessment. In all government schools, the significant positive impact on project will help improving recently introduced one-year pre-primary education to better prepare the young children. The project the school readiness of young will bring out-of-school children in learning centers to ensure that disadvantaged children are not left out. It will also build quality children. school infrastructures. Other donor agencies involved in PEDP4 are: ADB, EU, JICA, UNICEF, Canada, DFID, UNESCO, and USAID. EXPECTED RESULTS 74% and 45%, respectively students of grade 3 90% Primary cycle 1 million out-of-school children 80% Schools display key with grade-level competencies in Bangla and math completion rate enrolled in learning centers school data in public area In 25% schools double shift 100% Primary education completion 55,000 Schools annually receive schools converted to single shift exam items are competency-based School Level Improvement Plan funds THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 21 TRANSFORMING SECONDARY EDUCATION FOR RESULTS OPERATION BUILDING BLOCKS FOR IMPROVING HUMAN CAPITAL APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC December 18 December 31 $510 million IDA credit Ministry of Education INFORMATION 2017 2022 $10 million grant from Global Financing Facility OVERVIEW Bangladesh has made remarkable gains in education over the past few decades. It is nearing universal access to primary education and socioeconomic disparities in enrolment rates are falling. Despite significant achievements, more needs to be done. Every year, 2.1 million youth join the labour market. An overwhelming majority of this demographic is under-educated: less than 25 percent of the 57 million workers in the domestic labour market have only secondary education while 89 percent workers are employed in the informal market. Considering these challenges, the Government of Bangladesh is implementing a five-year Secondary Education Development Program (2018 – 2022) covering Grades 6-12 and a subset of this program will be supported by the Transforming Secondary Education for Results Operation (TSERO). Built on success of predecessor projects, TSERO aims to enhance the quality and effectiveness of secondary education system in the country. 22 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE FUTURE Despite remarkable progress in completion and enrolment rates and achievement in gender The Government of Bangladesh plans to use the parity in secondary education, quality education remains a critical gap. The sector faces low and Secondary Education Development Program (SEDP) as unequal learning levels, with large gaps between socioeconomic groups. While 67 percent of grade the main platform to implement national development 8 students from the richest decile have grade 8 level competency in Bangla, only 45.3 percent of policies for secondary education. The long-term students in the lowest decile achieved this competency standard (LASI 2013). The sector faces sustainability considerations are built in the SEDP low transitions rates from primary to secondary school (below 70 percent) and low retention at design through (a) use of country systems for budgeting, higher grades (grade 10 completion rates lie below 60 percent). The sector also faces systematic accounting, reporting, and auditing; (b) strengthening constraints: Secondary education is fragmented across programs/projects, Education Management institutions in secondary education which will sustain the Information System data and monitoring and evaluation systems needs modernized and sector improvements; (c) use of a results-based approach; Bangladesh’s investments in education are low compared to regional and international standards. and (d) strengthening governance and management. APPROACH TSERO focus on improving education quality and access, and that students — especially girls and children from low-income households — complete secondary education by addressingexisting challenges, including systems strengthening. The program uses a Program for Results (PforR) financing instrument to provide a strong focus on accountability for results. The program will improve education quality by supporting curriculum and assessment reform, improving teaching and learning in Bangla, English, Mathematics and Science and improving teacher/school management and accountability. The project will also address problems of grade retention and cycle completion for disadvantaged students and strengthen governance, fiduciary management and the capacity of the implementing agencies. EXPECTED RESULTS 5% increase in students achieving competency in 60% percent of schools have Time Spent 30,000 teachers in disadvantaged areas Grade 8 and 10 in Bangla, English and Math on Teaching (TST) monitoring systems benefit from the teacher incentive program 60% of secondary students benefit from a 15,000 institutions benefit from an adolescent health program through which harmonized poverty targeted stipend scheme retention rates for all students are expected to improve from 69% to 75% THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 23 ENERGY GHORASHAL UNIT 4 REPOWERING PROJECT INCREASING POWER GENERATION IMPROVING EFFICIENCY APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION December 21 March 31 $217 million Bangladesh Power Development Board 2015 2022 OVERVIEW In the context of natural gas supply shortages, improving the efficiency of the existing gas-based power plants is a priority of the government. The Ghorashal Unit 4 Repowering Project aims to increase the efficiency of an existing power plant and add new generation capacity at Ghorashal Power Station. This will help alleviate the country’s power shortages and improve the effectiveness of gas utilization in the power sector. 26 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE In the last few years, the power sector has grown rapidly with about 92 percent of the population having access to electricity. FUTURE Current installed generation capacity is about 21,000 MW, while available capacity is about 12,000 MW. Considerable challenges, This is the first repowering project however, remain to ensure uninterrupted supply of electricity. Supply still lags peak demand resulting in demand curtailment in the country and the South particularly in rural areas. Bangladesh’s economy could grow faster, if energy infrastructure develops in line with economic demands. Asia region. It is expected that the project will demonstrate the The country’s reserves of natural gas are estimated to deplete from 2020 if no new gas reserves are discovered. Consequently, opportunity of repowering of more the share of coal-based generation is expected to grow. Shortage of gas and the growing electricity demand have also resulted in gas-based steam plants for the expensive, imported fuel oil-based generation. This has impacted the power sector’s financial position due to the huge subsidy for existing capacity of 1,600 MW in payments to these private generators. Bangladesh. APPROACH With the shortages in natural gas production, improving the efficiency of gas-based power plants and prioritizing gas supply for higher efficient plants are critical to the power sector. The Ghorashal Unit 4 Repowering Project will improve the efficiency of the Unit 4, one of the four 210 MW gas-fired steam units at Ghorashal power station, by converting it into a combined cycle unit for an upgraded total capacity of 409 MW. A new gas turbine and generator and a new heat recovery steam generator will be added to the current steam turbine unit, dismantling the existing boiler. The unit 4 was identified for repowering through a feasibility study. A residual Life Assessment was also carried out to understand the technical viability of the project. The results were positive both from the technical and economic return perspectives. The project will increase the generation output will be more than doubled with only 30 percent increase in gas requirement. Consequently, specific fuel consumption (per GWh) will be reduced by 44 Percent. This will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The project will provide operational flexibility to the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) as the new gas turbine and existing steam plant will be designed to operate independently. EXPECTED RESULTS 210 MW gas-fired steam Overall efficiency increased to 303 PJ fuel 311,936 tCO2e unit converted into a 409 MW 54% from current efficiency savings in projected reduction in GHG emissions combined cycle unit level of 30% lifetime over project life THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 27 SCALING UP RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECT PRIVATE CAPITAL TO MEET RENEWABLE ENERGY CAPACITY APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION March 1 January 31 185.25 million including Electricity Generation Company of 2019 2024 $29 million grant from Bangladesh Infrastructure Development Strategic Climate Fund (SCF) Corporation Limited and Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority OVERVIEW Bangladesh is among the leading country to expand solar home systems in countryside. But the country has significant potential to scale up renewable energy for electricity generation. The total installed renewable energy generation capacity is currently 461 Megawatt (MW) and the share in grid supply only 1.5 percent. Resource assessments indicate an additional 3,666 MW of renewable energy capacity. To exploit this potential, the government of Bangladesh has put in place several plans and targets for adding renewable energy capacities The World Bank is supporting the government of Bangladesh with the Scaling Up Renewable Energy Project to add up to 310 Megawatt (MW) in renewable energy generation capacity and mobilize private sector participation to meet the growing demand for electricity in the country. It will also help the country meet its climate change mitigation commitments. Furthermore, the cost of electricity from utility-scale solar PV is expected to be considerably lower than the diesel and heavy fuel oil -based generation which represent as much as 25% of total electricity generation in Bangladesh. The project will help Bangladesh meet its growing demand for electricity in a sustainable and cost-effective manner. 28 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE Despite the government commitment, progress on increasing the share of renewable energy has been slow. There are number of FUTURE reasons for this, including: The project is currently (i) Need for project implementation experience and strengthening institutional capacity: Till date, Bangladesh has only two entering its implementation small-to medium size solar projects and the rooftop PV market is nascent. phase. The tender for the EGCB 50MW project is (ii) Financing Market Challenges: There is a lack of deep domestic financing market to provide long- term financing to projects, under preparation, IDCOL lack of due diligence capacity and lack of a functioning syndication market. has identified a pipeline (iii) Land constraint: Utility scale solar or wind require large amount of land. Being a densely populated country, land is the of rooftop PV sub-projects major challenge for developing utility-scale RE. that could benefit from the (iv) Project Development Challenges: These barriers include insufficient data on resource availability, lack of technical studies, project financing, and SREDA and inadequate preparation and due diligence of projects. is preparing a number of capacity building activities to key stakeholders. APPROACH The project will build a 50 MW solar panel energy park in the Feni district, which will be the first large-scale grid-tied solar PV project in Bangladesh and implemented by the Electricity Generation Company of Bangladesh (EGCB). The project will support the Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) to develop a Renewable Energy Financing Facility and provide resources to the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) to support a pipeline of renewable energy projects. The project engage both the public and private sectors and includes a combination of measures to address the barriers. The Project will increase installed capacity of renewables through piloting and gradually scaling up investments in key market segments. The project will also help mobilize up to $120 million from the private sector and commercial banks and another $92 million from other sources of financing. The Renewable Energy Financing Facility will provide credit to developers of both rooftop solar PV and large-scale, land mounted solar PV. The design of the Project considers the government strategy to develop a pilot through a public power generation utility in parallel to development of competitive tenders on public land for private sector IPPs. EXPECTED RESULTS 310 MW generation capacity of $120 million private 377,000 tons per annum of carbon renewable energy constructed capital mobilized dioxide emissions reduced THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 29 RURAL ELECTRICITY TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION PROJECT RELIABLE POWER SUPPLY FOR RURAL BANGLADESH APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION February 27 June 30 IDA $600 million Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB) 2014 2021 and Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) OVERVIEW With 93 percent population having access to electricity, Bangladesh has significantly increased electricity generation capacity. Yet, its per-capita electricity consumption is one of the lowest in the world. Even those with access to grid electricity suffer from frequent supply disruptions due to network congestion and over-loads. The Rural Electricity Transmission and Distribution Project aims to reduce system losses and enhance capacity in the electricity network in rural Bangladesh. 30 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE FUTURE While the number of electricity consumers has grown steadily in Bangladesh over the last decade, The project will make an important contribution to the vision so has the availability of electricity, driven primarily by systems loss reductions and increase in of universal access to electricity in Bangladesh by the year generation capacity. With more than 300,000 new connections every month, the rural electricity 2021 by strengthening the rural electrification network. By network has been expanding rapidly. However, the rural electricity system has become over- improving the efficiency of the system, the project will ensure loaded and experiences frequent load-shedding, leading to high technical losses and frequent more power is available to consumers. The project will service interruptions. The distribution and transmission system is currently limiting further improve the reliability and quality of electricity supply in rural growth in rural electricity sales. For any additional electricity to reach consumers, the distribution Bangladesh which in turn will help fuel growth. and transmission system needs to be upgraded through replacement of small conductors and introduction of new lines and associated substations. APPROACH The project primarily focuses to reduce technical losses in the rural grid electricity system and helps to ensure that a greater percentage of electricity generated is reached to rural consumers. The investments envisaged will also increase the capacity of distribution and transmission system to supply and distribute additional power to consumers as additional generation becomes available. The project will strengthen the institutional capacity of the two implementing agencies - Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB) and the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB). The project will support new lines and substations as well as upgrade existing lines in the rural areas. Implementation of the project started with 5,500 of line construction (completed) and systems loss reduction of 2 percent. RESULTS 2.5 percent reduction in systems losses, Improved reliability and quality of electricity supply to serving 1 million people per year 25 million people in rural Bangladesh THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 31 ENHANCEMENT AND STRENGTHENING OF POWER TRANSMISSION NETWORK IN EASTERN REGION PROJECT BRINGING UNINTERRUPTED POWER SUPPLY TO THE EAST APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION March 29 December 31 $450.6 million Power Grid Company of 2018 2022 Bangladesh (PGCB) OVERVIEW The lack of availability and reliability of power is a key constraint to job creation and poverty reduction, hampering the competitiveness of Bangladesh’s economy. The supply of power in has not been able to keep pace with the rapid growth in demand. The consumers experience frequent power outages. In addition to shortfalls in power generation, Bangladesh’s aging and inadequate transmission and distribution systems impose severe constraints on power delivery to consumers. The Enhancement and Strengthening of Power Transmission Network in Eastern Region Project will improve transmission capacity and ensure efficient evacuation of power for reliable electricity supply in the eastern region, which is an important economic and industrial hub. The project will help development of a strategy and roadmap for maintenance of the implementing agency and support them to access local and international financial markets. Furthermore, the technical designs will incorporate features to enhance climate resilience of the transmission lines. About 275,000 households and 16,000 agricultural consumers will get new electricity connection. Further, project would generate a total employment for about 121,500 persons. 32 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE FUTURE In recent years, the government has significantly increased power generation. But, only investing in power generation is Network investments under this project are not sufficient, unless that is supported by improvement in transmission and distribution. To ensure reliable and quality expected to maximize leverage of public electricity supply for increasing numbers of consumers connected to the grid, it is critical to address transmission system finance by unlocking private sector growth bottlenecks. The network is currently under pressure due to the rapid growth of demand for electricity. A considerable and bringing a transformational economic number of grid substations and transmission lines are overloaded leading to unreliable electricity supply in major load impact in the eastern region. The project is centers. The system also faces growing physical constraints to expand due to lack of Right of Way for the lines and land also expected to enable imported electricity for substations in densely populated areas. Bangladesh’s growing power system will require wheeling of 50GW capacity after the establishment of an HVDC through the transmission network by 2041. But, investments in power generation will not have the intended benefits to interconnection at Comilla with Tripura by consumers without an adequate and timely upgrade of electricity transmission and distribution systems. importing 500MW of power. APPROACH By using IDA scale-up facility, the project will expand the network in the eastern region, covering the Greater Comilla, Noakhali and partly the Greater Chittagong area. Grid networks in this region are aged and have low capacity. The Greater Comilla region has more than 1000 people per square km. Comilla and Noakhali together are the second largest load centers of Bangladesh after the capital city of Dhaka. The Greater Chittagong area is a major commercial and industrial hub with the Government, taking initiatives to set up multiple economic zones, upgrade port facility and transportation network. Due to lack of electricity supply capacity, economic growth of this area is stagnant. A network analysis by Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) identified operational bottlenecks. The project will build substations and rehabilitate an existing one in the country’s eastern part. To improve transmission capacity the eastern region, the project will build 13 new substations and rehabilitate an existing one and build a 230 kV transmission line through greater Comilla and four short distance 132 kV lines in Comilla and Noakhali areas. These will help integrate renewable energy and new generations into the grid. EXPECTED RESULTS 157 km existing 13 new substations Increase in transformation Reduce average interruption 290 km new transmission transmission lines constructed and 1 capacity by 9,040 MVA frequency by 70 times per year lines constructed rehabilitated rehabiliated THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 33 POWER SYSTEM RELIABILITY AND EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT RELIABLE AND AFFORDABLE ELECTRICITY FOR ALL APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION April 26 December 31 $77 million Power Grid Company of 2017 2021 Bangladesh (PGCB) OVERVIEW Despite significant increase in power generation capacity and access to electricity in recent years, Bangladesh is struggling to ensure quality and reliability of power supply. Unreliable power supply leads to voltage drops and outages resulting in about 2 percent loss of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The power system requires upgradation and modernization to cope with the growing economy. The Power System and Reliability and Efficiency Improvement (PSREI) Project aims to help Bangladesh meet the increasing demand for electricity by improving the reliability and efficiency of the entire power system, from electricity generation to transmission. 34 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE FUTURE The rapid increase of the power system size amplifies the challenge to ensure quality and reliability of supply with The project will make important contributions present operational tools and rules. The power system operation needs to address the following three issues to towards the government’s vision of ensuring operate and expand efficiently: i) ensure frequency control ii) reduce voltage fluctuations and iii) enable merit-order reliable and affordable power for all, through dispatch. upgradation and modernization of the national power system. Reliable and low-cost The system is still reliant on manual dispatch and controls that cannot ensure system economy and security. power will benefit households and facilitate Demand-supply mismatch results in wide variation of system frequency and voltage fluctuations. Unstable industrial and business growth. The project frequency causes supply disruption; both unstable frequency and voltage drops damage household appliances. will reduce fiscal burden as the efficient Unreliable power supply causes significant production loss in case of industrial users. Lack of system automation and optimum power system will cut down and integration implies considerable delays and uncertainty in balancing the demand and supply situation. An fuel consumption. Reduced use of carbon absence of spinning reserve leads the system to give dispatch to inefficient and expensive power plants. Absence of intense fuel will lower greenhouse gas automated merit order dispatch results in uneconomic system operation and leads to high cost supply; it requires emission. substantial annual subsidy. There is a need to modernise and upgrade the power system infrastructure and the related operating procedures. APPROACH To modernize and upgrade Bangladesh’s power system, the project will implement primary frequency control and install both software and hardware to integrate generators with National Load Dispatch Centre (NLDC). It will also modernize SCADA/EMS and dispatch protocol. The project will address critical transmission bottlenecks by reconductoring of 40 km line and installing dynamic line rating (DLR) to improve utilisation of transmission capacity. It will also support capacity development of utilities especially in operational procedures and enhance cooperation among the agencies to sustain the outcomes. Merit order dispatch protocol maximizes power generation from more efficient and less expensive generators. The project will undertake an in-depth institutional and policy review to identify barriers that have led to non-merit-order dispatch and lack of cooperation of generators with NLDC. The review will recommend actions to address the constraints. EXPECTED RESULTS Reliability of power supply enhanced through Fiscal savings expected from reduction of frequency control, voltage management and outage reduction fuel usage driven by merit order dispatch THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 35 SECOND RURAL ELECTRIFICATION AND RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT LIGHTING UP RURAL COMMUNITIES APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCY: BASIC INFORMATION September 20, 2012 December 31 $716.60 million Infrastructure Development Company Additional Financing 2021 Limited (IDCOL) and Power Cell approved on June 19, 2014, Additional Financing II approved on April 10, 2018 OVERVIEW Life used to come to a near standstill after sunset for the great majority of Bangladeshis living in the countryside. About two-thirds of rural households have access to grid electricity, and they often suffer from power cuts due to lack of supply and network congestions. The Second Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Development Project (RERED II) helped increase access to clean and renewable energy in rural Bangladesh. 36 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE FUTURE At present, against a peak summer demand of 15,527 (MW) in FY 2019 electricity, supply is lower Introduction of LED technologies in the SHS has enabled than required. The urban areas with large industrial loads are prioritized for power supply, smaller-capacity and lower-cost systems to support the leaving rural areas with a disproportionate share of power cuts. The dispersed nature of rural same energy needs that earlier required a larger capacity settlements and the numerous rivers that crisscross the country make grid electrification in many and higher cost systems. The smaller systems are now areas of Bangladesh both difficult and expensive. Although the government is making progress becoming affordable to the poorer rural population. Other to address the power generation shortage, but reliance on grid electricity alone will not allow the interventions are replicating the SHS implementation Bangladesh government to realize its vision of universal access to electricity by 2021. model to increase access to electricity through renewable energy sources. The improved cookstove program has funding from the Green Climate Fund for its Phase 2, with a target of reaching APPROACH 5 million end users. The RERED II project supports renewable energy options, including solar home systems (SHS) in remote rural areas where grid electricity is not yet economically viable. With a SHS, a household can operate 3-4 lights and a television for at least four hours a day. Millions of rural people are benefiting from electricity from SHS who were otherwise dependent on expensive kerosene lamps which pollutes indoor air. The project has helped more than 5.4 million rural households and shops access electricity through solar home systems. A total of 58 non-government organizations (NGOs) called partner organizations are installing the various renewable energy products through micro-credit schemes. The partner organizations procure and install the systems in rural households as per technical standards set by the implementing agency, IDCOL. The project is piloting solar mini-grids in remote areas including chars and islands, solar irrigation pumps as well as improved cook stoves that uses half the amount of firewood needed by traditional stoves and and biogas digesters. RESULTS IN NUMBERS 6.84 million remote Over 60 percent Contributed to 14.4 20 solar mini-grids 867 solar irrigation 1.65 million households and rural of the beneficiaries percent increase in installed providing pumps installed, improved shops have access to are women access to electricity in electricity to 3,000 shops, benefitting 300,000 cookstoves sold renewable energy the country businesses, households farmers across the country THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 37 ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES SUSTAINABLE COASTAL AND MARINE FISHERIES PROJECT BLUE ECONOMY FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION October 5 December 31 $240 million Department of Fisheries (DoF) of Ministry 2018 2023 of Fisheries and Livestock (MoFL) OVERVIEW The seafood sector is of strategic importance for the Bangladesh economy as well as for food security and the livelihoods of millions of fishermen and stakeholders along the production chain. To ensure sustainability of fisheries, while enabling responsible private-sector led growth, the Government has set an ambitious reform agenda, which the Sustainable Coastal and Marine Fisheries Project (SCMFP) supports. This is a first phase of a longer-term programmatic effort to increase coastal and marine fisheries’ contribution to the country’s Blue Economy, poverty reduction and environmental stability. 40 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE The seafood sector has emerged as a major growth driver, consistently contributing around 4 percent of GDP for the last decade FUTURE but the proportion of the fishing community living in poverty and extreme poverty remains high, at 24 and 13 percent, respectively. Building on the sector Lack of effective marine fisheries governance, growing overfishing and resource degradation further threaten both fisheries and governance and management fisheries-dependent livelihoods. While the country has consistently ranked among the biggest aquaculture producers globally, acheivements pursued the productivity levels for the majority of smallholder farmers remain among the lowest. Poor access to financing and markets under the current project, are barriers in both the capture and the culture segments of the sector. In line with priorities outlined in the GoB’s Blue Economy the second phase of the Initiative, public sector interventions are needed to catalyze a sector-wide shift “from volume to value” by enabling responsible program is expected to invest private-sector-led growth. The Sustainable Coastal and Marine Fisheries Project aims to improve management and production in in consolidating the sector marine and coastal fisheries and aquaculture. reforms, building on the fisheries management improvements; scaling up pilots to improve coastal communities’ and APPROACH fishers’ livelihoods; and continue The Bangladesh Sustainable Coastal and Marine Fisheries Project (BSCMFP) is the first operation in a two-phase program that aims to close the infrastructure and to improve the management of coastal and marine fisheries and aquaculture. It will help improve fisheries management systems, technological gaps to enable infrastructure, value chain investments, and encourage private sector investment. The project will stimulate fisheries sector reform sustainable private sector by strengthening institutional capacity and investing in wider community participation in fisheries co-management to enhance best participation, with the objective practices to reduce fishing pressure . The project will (i) enable activities for sustainable fisheries sector investments and growth; (ii) of generating higher-value improve infrastructure and production practices; (iii) and empower communities and enhance their livelihoods. capture from domestic and export-oriented capture and Marking the World Bank’s first reengagement in Bangladesh’s fisheries sector in nearly two decades, the project will help stimulate culture fisheries. fisheries sector reforms. EXPECTED RESULTS Improved management of targeted coastal belt 60,000 fisher households Improved productivity, Over ten-fold increase capture and culture fisheries, including the will receive support to financing and market in the availability of more introduction of fisheries management plans improve access to finance and access for over productive and disease- and effective monitoring and surveillance for for livelihood activities outside 15,000 aquaculture resistant aquaculture inputs in over 300 industrial and over 15,000 semi- the capture fisheries sector smallholders the Bangladesh market industrial and artisanal fishing vessels THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 41 SUSTAINABLE ENTERPRISE PROJECT MAKING MICROENTERPRISES CLEAN AND GREEN APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION March 29 June 30 $110 million Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) 2018 2023 OVERVIEW Microenterprises diversify economic activity and contribute significantly to poverty alleviation. In Bangladesh, half of population depend for livelihoods on 7 million existing microenterprises. These microenterprises account for 90 percent of all economic enterprises in the country. However, there is little evidence that these microenterprises are growing sustainably. They often impact the environment negatively. Bangladesh is also known for its success in pioneering approaches that support microenterprises. Organisations such as Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), an apex microcredit funding and capacity building organization established by the Government to reach out to the poor, started microenterprise loan programs in 2001, implemented through 178 Partner Organizations throughout the country. The Sustainable Enterprise Project is supporting this partnership with the government to help microenterprises adopt cleaner technologies. 42 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE Cumulatively, the impact of microenterprises on the environment are substantial. The contamination due to microenterprises FUTURE are often unduly high because they lack investment in technology to reduce their footprint. Microenterprises are also highly Although the project has only exposed to risks induced by climate change. They typically operate within very narrow profit margins and are often forced been under implementation to prioritize short-term profitability over environmental sustainability, occupational health risks and long-term financial phase for a year, it has made sustainability. Poor access to market and access to finance are notable barriers. good progress. More sub- Other challenges include a)pollution, contamination and climate resilience; b)information and knowledge gaps about the projects will be approved in the markets, technologies; (c) capacity gaps of microenterprises, communities and microfinance institutions; (d) poor regulatory coming years. The design of the environment, such as lack of certification and safety standards; high cost of regulating microenterprises through enforcement; project is well recognized, and and (e) low access to finance. other development partners may add resources to this project. APPROACH The project will help about 20,000 microenterprises adopt environmentally friendly practices in the manufacturing and agribusiness sectors. It will provide loans to microenterprises for innovative, environmentally sustainable technologies and practices and for shared amenities to reduce pollution and reduce pollution environmental degradation. It will help promote basic safety standards, certify eco-labeled products, low-polluting, cleaner, greener technologies. It will enhance access to finance for environmentally friendly microenterprises in targeted sectors through sub-loans. This will, in turn, lead to adoption of innovative and environmentally- friendly technologies and practices, reduce environmental impacts, and strengthen existing environmentally sustainable practices. The project will also provide access to long-term financing to microenterprises for clean and efficient technology. The Project will help Bangladesh create quality jobs, improve competitiveness, and boost growth while improving environmental sustainability and resilience to climate change. EXPECTED RESULTS In the first call for proposals, 11 partner 3,000 microenterprises will be supported in the first year. organizations with sub-projects have been selected. One-third of these are expected to be owned by women. THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 43 SUSTAINABLE FOREST AND LIVELIHOOD PROJECT IMPROVING FOREST COVERAGE FOR BETTER RESILIENCE APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION October 5 September 30 $175 million Bangladesh Forest Department 2018 2023 OVERVIEW Healthy forests are critical for reducing poverty. About 19 million Bangladeshis depend on forests for their livelihoods and almost 60 percent of domestic energy comes from fuelwood. Yet, the forest cover is decreasing: the proportion to land under forests is only 11 percent in Bangladesh which is significantly lower than the Asian average of 26 percent. Forest degradation is primarily caused by: clearing for agriculture and infrastructure development, unmanaged fuelwood and timber extraction and fires for shifting cultivation in hills. The Sustainable Forest and Livelihood (SUFAL) project will help improve forest cover through a collaborative forest management approach involving local communities and sustainable management of forest resources. The project will also support forest dependent communities with alternative livelihood to reduce poverty vis-à-vis their dependency on forest resources. 44 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE FUTURE In the last several decades, Bangladesh witnessed a steady decline in forest cover. Largely driven by The project will generate significant economic unsustainable logging, conversion of forest areas into settlements, pastures, croplands, wastelands, or land returns. AIGAs will have a long-term impact as used for recreational or industrial purposes. The forest cover has been declining by 2.1 percent annually in they will provide the communities an option the last three decades alone. At present, only 13.20 percent of land in Bangladesh has tree cover with density of using them as revolving funds to re-finance of 30 percent and above. Further, the sudden influx of over 725,000 Rohingya to Cox’s Bazar caused the loss income generating activities. The government of nearly 13,000 hectares of forest. is committed to scaling up forest sector The Bangladesh Forest Department (BFD) faces challenge to effectively manage the remaining natural forests investments. The recently closed World Bank and prevent degradation due to high population density and incidences of encroachment. BFD also faces projects- the Climate Resilient Participatory institutional constraints of budget and short staff. Afforestation and Reforestation Project and the Strengthening Regional Cooperation for Wildlife Protection in Asia demonstrated the MOEFCC and BFD’s implementation capacity. APPROACH The project supports an important shift in BFD’s approach to managing forests: (i) from a purely law enforcement approach towards collaborative forest management; and, (ii) from a regulatory approach to service delivery to enhance private sector engagement. The project will support alternative income generating activities (AIGAs) for the forest-dependent communities in the coastal, hill and central districts, including Cox’s Bazar where displaced Rohingya population took shelter. The project will help the host communities by providing alternative income generation activities, improving the availability of wood for fuel in a sustainable way and reducing human-wild elephant conflict. BFD, for the first time, will empower communities by transferring funds to their accounts to build trust and improve the partnership. The project will be implemented in selected sites in 147 Upazilas (sub-districts ) of 27 districts. These areas include most natural forests and Protected Areas outside Sundarbans and Chittagong Hill Tracts. EXPECTED RESULTS The project will and establish Increased access to Alternative Increased incomes and collaborative forest management Income Generating Activities resilience of the communities and plant trees in about 79,000 for forest dependent communities and reduce dependencies on hectares of forest land in targeted sites the forest harvest THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 45 FINANCE, COMPETITIVENESS AND INNOVATION BANGLADESH INSURANCE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECT INCREASING INSURANCE COVERAGE AND PROTECTION APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC March 20 August 31 $80 million Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority INFORMATION 2017 2022 OVERVIEW Despite the growth in insurance sector in the last five years in Bangladesh, still insurance penetration remains very low: less than 1 percent of the population has insurance coverage. A resistant and robust insurance sector helps people, especially the poor, and businesses to protect themselves from shocks and enables financial sector diversification as well as create long-term financing. It also helps individuals, families, and organizations for better managing and transferring risks and investments. To strengthen the insurance regulatory structure and further develop the insurance sector of the country, the World Bank is providing support through the Bangladesh Insurance Sector Development Project (BISDP). The project aims to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (IDRA), Bangladesh Insurance Academy (BIA), and the country’s two state-owned insurance corporations—Sadharan Bima Corporation (SBC) and Jiban Bima Corporation (JBC)— through modernizing their systems and business practices. It will also help increase the coverage of insurance to provide protection for people’s life and property. 48 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE FUTURE The key challenges, include lack of institutional capacity of IDRA in addition to it Through various training programs aiming to transform the implementing becoming a first-time implementor of a Bank-financed project Other challenges agencies, the project will provide support to the Financial Institutions include underperforming of state owned insurance companies and lack of tailored Division (FID) which manages its ownership rights over state-owned products to suit the people’s needs. The project focuses on building the necessary insurance corporations. Successful strengthening of IDRA’s capacity will IT systems in IDRA, BIA, SBC and JBC in order to ensure a stable and secure ICT enable effective regulation/ supervision and market practise within the infrastructure. To do this, business processes will need to be improved and systems insurance sector. Confidence and trust in insurance will be enhanced and put in place to automate those processes. IDRA and state-owned insurance insurance coverage will be increased as the project focuses on affordable corporations have already started the modernization process that the project will premium, adequate coverage and improved policyholders/ consumer be supporting. Strong coordination and consultation with beneficiaries is critical to protection. As a result, the project will promote further development of ensure consistency in the implementation of project components. capital markets in Bangladesh. APPROACH The project takes a comprehensive and integrated approach to transform the insurance regulatory/ supervisory structure in Bangladesh. It aims to improve governance and market practise in the insurance sector. The project also will provide support to IDRAto strengthen its capacity and modernize its operations through upgrading its information systems to adopt a risk-based supervision (RBS) regime that ensures transparency and improves policy holder’s protection and governance. BIA will be restructured and modernized to develop the professional skills and data needed for the insurance market. Public awareness and trust needs to be built in the sector. The functions and market practises of SBC and JBC will be enhanced to improve effectiveness and growth. EXPECTED RESULTS 70% of the domestic insurance market would be supervised 20 million insurance policy holders (life by smart Risk-based Supervision (RBS) of IDRA by 2022 and non-life) by 2022 THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 49 BANGLADESH INVESTMENT PROMOTION AND FINANCING FACILITY II PROJECT INFRASTRUCTURE GROWTH THROUGH PRIVATE-PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION April 05 June 30 $356.7 million Bangladesh Bank 2017 2022 OVERVIEW Bangladesh needs faster and higher growth to attain its vision of becoming an upper middle-income country by 2031. Inadequate infrastructure is among the key binding constraints to higher growth.It is estimated that the overall investment rate needs to go up from 26 percent of GDP to 34 percent of GDP for an 8 percent plus growth. Out of the total investment need, around $ 3-5 billion is needed annually for investment in infrastructure. The Investment Promotion and Financing Facility II (IPFF II) project helps Bangladesh to enhance the local financial institutions’ capacity to provide long-term financing for private sector led infrastructure projects diverse sectors, including energy and power, roads and bridges, industrial parks, waste management, health and education infrastructures and others. The project was undertaken following the success of the predecessor project, IPFF that facilitated financing of 21 sub-projects in the power, ICT, health, water treatment and port sector. In the first phase, $300 million IDA resources were put in and another US$ 300 million equivalent resources were crowded in from the market. 50 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE FUTURE In Bangladesh, the required investment in infrastructure is constrained by the fiscal The IPFF II pipeline includes sub-loan applications for port, space and lack of adequate private participation in infrastructure sectors. The government industrial park, high-tech park, hospitals, and ICT sectors. In FY is promoting private sector-led infrastructure projects. But, due to limited capacity and 2019, about $30 million is expected to be disbursed for a dry- market constraints, the local financial institutions traditionally could not meet the longer dock and a high-tech park sub-project. In total, the project aims term financing demand for building infrastructures. As investment activities are mostly at stimulating the market for over $ 600 million infrastructure dependent on short-term commercial bank loans, private entrepreneurs find it difficult investment. It will collaborate with Bangladesh Securities and to source long-term equity and debt for funding long-term infrastructure investments. Exchange Commission (BSEC), IFC, and World Bank Group’s Moreover, globally, such long-term financing for infrastructure project requires a vibrant capital markets development initiatives to foster an ecosystem bond market for both government and corporate debt instruments. In Bangladesh, the where diverse financing instruments—l ike project bonds, capital market is nascent and there are several regulatory and institutional issues that guarantees, credit enhancements, mezzanine financing and need to be addressed before long-term financing for infrastructure can take a robust form. securitizations—can be issued and invested by institutional The project will focus on banking and non-banking financial institutions’ term lending investors like mutual funds, pension operations, but it will be constrained by their ability to issue and invest in capital markets funds, life insurance funds instruments, as governed by the Banking Companies Act 1991. along with banks. APPROACH Built on the success of IPFF I, IPFF II aims at piloting innovative instruments beyond simple lending for maximizing the crowding in effect. The project follows a financial intermediary lending model of financing whereby partial debt financing (up to 50 percen t of the total project cost) is provided for 8 – 20 years through participating financial institutions, selected based on rigorous performance indicators. Bangladesh Bank has a 10-member team that acts as the Project Implementation Unit on behalf of the Ministry of Finance for on-lending the fund. Finally, the private investment sponsor that was contracted by the concerned government agency/ministry utilizes the fund for construction and implementation of the infrastructure sub-project. EXPECTED RESULTS Over $350 million to be At least 15 banks and non-bank financial institutions to adopt World Improved capacity crowded in from the market as private Bank Performance Standards for management of environmental and of local financial institutions investment in infrastructure social risk management (ESRM) in infrastructure projects to lend for longer term THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 51 PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT PROJECT BOOSTING BUSINESS WITH ECONOMIC ZONES APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: IDA COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCY: BASIC INFORMATION March 1 February 28 $172.8 million Economic Relations Division, Bangladesh 2011 2021 Export Zones Authority (BEZA), Bangladesh Export Processing Zones EFFECTIVE DATE: DFID GRANT: Authority (BEPZA), Bangladesh High-Tech August 3 $17.4 million Park Authority (BHTPA) 2011 OVERVIEW Bangladesh’s government-owned export processing zones (EPZs) positively promoted trade and investment by addressing land scarcity and other policy constraints. The Private Sector Development Support Project (PSDSP) helps the Government of Bangladesh develop a new generation of privately owned and developed economic zones (EZs) and hi-tech parks (HTPs). The government envisions to move from eight EPZs developed over a 40-year period to more than 100 EZs and HTPs developed over the coming decade. 52 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE Lack of serviced land and quality infrastructure are binding constraints for greenfield investments in Bangladesh. The FUTURE topography and population density have led to a scarcity and high cost of land with much of the land being waterlogged or The additional finance will build on occupied. Additionally, an inefficient land administration system and deficiencies in urban planning have led to an opaque the gains realized by the original land market. Access to reliable power is another binding constraint and firms in urban areas report that they lose on average credit and contribute to enhancing 12 percent of their potential sales to electricity outages, which is more than any other country in the region. the quality standards in the zones and in their governing institutions. It will strengthen capacity to identify, plan, license, and negotiate PPPs APPROACH concessions to develop EZs as well as private EZs; construct last-mile The World Bank, together with UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) and IFC is supporting the Private Sector offsite infrastructure and shared Development Support Project to scale up support for the recently licensed and new economic zones to attract foreign and onsite facilities; and strengthen domestic investment as well as to create more jobs in the manufacturing sector. The project crowds in private investment in demand-driven skills formation EZ and HTP development through a public subsidy for last mile infrastructure and promotes compliance with international and encourage good social and quality standards, building codes, and good social and environmental practices. The project supports the government’s goal environmental practices. The of licensing 100 zones through private and public private partnerships by 2025, which will ultimately employ several million move from a publicly driven to a workers. It helps develop new EZs through identifying, licensing, and negotiating Public-Private Partnership for economic zone privately driven zone development development. It also supports civil works that connect new zones with major road, power and water arteries and provides firm process will help rapidly expand level training and process development to effectively collaborate with zone-based enterprises and their suppliers. The new EZs the footprint of serviced land for and HTPs will provide streamlined administrative procedures to businesses in both the manufacturing and service sectors. It is productive investment and thereby piloting initiatives to strengthen social and environmental compliance in Bangladesh’s existing Export Processing Zones. accelerate economic growth. EXPECTED RESULTS Generated Created more than 23,000 Generated more than $200 18 licenses issued to establish private $3 billion in direct jobs, of which 20% are million direct investment by zone sector-led Special Economic Zones (SEZs) private investment female workers tenant companies and High-Tech parks BEZA and BHTPA completed more than 50 site assessments, feasibility 20 companies certified with the ISO 14001 Environmental studies/master plans for new economic zones, with Mongla and Kaliakor Management Standard, and more than 50 firms certified with quality awarded as the first zone/park under the public private partnership regime standards such as ISO: 9001, ISO: 27001, CMMI-3, and CMMI-5 THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 53 EXPORT COMPETITIVENESS FOR JOBS PROJECT EXPORT DIVERSIFICATION FOR MORE AND BETTER JOBS APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION June 01 June 30 $100 million Ministry of Commerce 2017 2023 OVERVIEW The Bangladesh economy has undergone important structural shifts and the industrial sector has become a large contributor to growth and employment. The Export Competitiveness for Jobs Project contributes to the government’s policy of diversifying exports beyond ready-made garments (RMG), which currently make up 82 percent of exports. The project will help diversify exports in labor-intensive and globally competitive industries such as leather goods, footwear, plastics, and light engineering. It will also help Bangladesh create more and better jobs for its population. 54 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE FUTURE Firms in the non-RMG manufacturing sector are seeking to integrate into global value chains but development The project activities are on a positive track and the is held back due to insufficient technology and skills adoption, and a general lack of compliance with implementation is expected to gain momentum in international environmental, social and quality standards. Market failures such as information asymmetry the coming months as turnkey technical assistance between foreign buyers and Bangladeshi sellers regarding standards and accreditations in high-income contractors mobilize and start delivery. This is one of markets and coordination failures where market participants are too disorganized to effectively address issues the priority projects for the Government of Bangladesh of mutual interest, such as policy advocacy, articulation of demand for skills, and agreement on common needs to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) for technology adoption, act as impediments to growth. by diversifying exports and create quality jobs. APPROACH The Export Competitiveness for Jobs Project helps growth and competitiveness of these manufacturing sectors by helping firms access international markets, overcome technology, infrastructure and skills shortfalls, and enable them to comply with international quality standards. It will also help private companies enhance productivity; improve environmental, social and quality standards; and access to shared infrastructural facilities. It will address critical constraints that prevent private sector companies from accessing international markets and integrating with global value chains - by enhancing knowledge, skills and capacity to improve compliance standards; address constraints related to quality and productivity improvements through skills and technology diffusion - by establishing technology centres; and address infrastructure constraints - by supporting development cluster infrastructure. The implementation engages multiple stakeholders, including private sector associations in the relevant sectors, and government agencies as required. EXPECTED RESULTS 1 million people reached in 180 sector Environmental and Social Feasibility studies awareness raising campaigns targeting representatives (buyers Compliance Guideline for completed for the leather sector compliance in the leather sector and sellers) have been leather goods and footwear design and technology center; reached through print, television and brought together in sector has been launched by the and technical assistance firms social media local trade fairs Honourable Prime Minister selected THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 55 FINANCIAL SECTOR SUPPORT PROJECT IMPROVING FINANCE FOR PRIVATE FIRMS APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION June March 31 $300 million Bangladesh Bank 2015 2021 OVERVIEW Bangladesh is on pace to fulfil its aspirations to become an upper-middle-income country by 2031. Strong macroeconomic fundamentals, economic liberalization, trade integration and large inflows of remittances have underpinned resilience and growth in Bangladesh. However, access to long-term finance continues to affect many enterprises. The Financial Sector Support Project (FSSP) will support developing long-term financing market in Bangladesh. The project will enable the participating financial institutions to provide long-term financing to private firms. It will also help strengthening the financial sector regulator and infrastructure. 56 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE FUTURE To reach a higher growth trajectory, investment in Bangladesh – both public and private – will have to A recent survey collected stakeholders’ feedback increase. Only one-quarter of investment is funded by banks and capital markets. Without long term on the funding facility and process, as well as the financing, private sector cannot invest in construction of plants, machinery and equipment. Long term quality of services provided by the Bangladesh Bank financing is also needed for infrastructure investments. (BB) and participating financial institutions (PFIs). All respondents agreed that their business benefitted The ability of banks to provide long-term finance is constrained by several factors. The banking sector from the long-term finance. 93 percent opined that the is dependent on short-term deposits, limiting its ability for maturity transformation. The sector faces tenor of the sub-loans received was adequate while 98 challenges from financial sector infrastructure weaknesses, gaps in regulation and supervision, and overall percent agreed that the cooperation from BB and PFIs underperformance. This impacts its ability to sustain high credit growth and subjects it to asset-liability was satisfactory. All firms and participating financial maturity mismatches stemming from the inability to attract long-term funding. institutions responded that they benefited from the At the same time, capital markets have a long way to go towards playing a significant role in the provision of environmental and social awareness and training. The long-term finance. Corporate bond issuances are few and, while the equity market has grown rapidly, market project is currently undergoing a soft restructuring. capitalization is below 20 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). APPROACH The FSSP is supporting private firms through the provision of long-term finance, while other fundamental financial reforms are undertaken. The project works through participating financial institutions that will extend over $250 million in long-term sub-loans (with tenors of 3 to 10 years) to private firms throughout its lifetime. The financing is available to exporters, new entrepreneurs, small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) and other private sector firms, mainly manufacturing units. Notably, the funds will be recycled and extended multiple times over to more private firms beyond the project’s life cycle. In addition, FSSP aims to utilize the remaining funds to address some of the fundamental constraints to financial infrastructure and the capacity of the banking regulator. EXPECTED RESULTS 47 sub-loans totaling Outstanding foreign exchange long- 40% of government 45 financial institution $242 million term loans of participating financial payments processed officers received training provided to private companies institutions reaching $550 million through electronic means on safeguards. THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 57 PRIVATE INVESTMENT & DIGITAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROJECT TAKING PRIDE IN PROGRESS APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION June 19 December 31 $500 million Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority, 2020 2025 Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority, Government’s Economic Relations Division OVERVIEW In recent years, the manufacturing—particularly the ready-made garments (RMG) sector—has been a major driver of the economic growth. It employs more than four million workers, most of whom are women, and accounts for 84 percent of the country’s total exports. However, the pace of job creation has almost stalled in the RMG sector. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bangladesh will need to increase private investment—especially foreign direct investment (FDI)—to raise productivity levels, diversify exports and accelerate economic transformation. Economic zones and hi-tech parks will be critical to attract private investment, diversify export and create more quality jobs. 58 CHALLENGE To reach the next level of economic transformation, Bangladesh will need to attract more FDI. Bangladesh Export Zones Authority (BEZA) was established to lay the foundation for a market of serviced industrial land to attract private investment and create jobs in manufacturing and industry. It is critical that BEZA strengthen its core expertise and build capacity in areas important to its continuing success, including planning, asset and financial (pricing) management, safeguards management, monitoring and regulatory enforcement, and space for private participation. APPROACH The project will promote and attract direct private investments in selected public and private economic zones and software technology parks where it will help address binding supply-side constraints. It will help create an enabling environment for Bangladesh to maintain and attract domestic and foreign producers by significantly strengthening BEZA’s capacity to manage social and environmental safeguards and introduce a social and environmental counselor program for economic zones. The project will develop the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar II (BSMSN-2) economic zone in Mirsarai-Feni, including road networks with stormwater drainage, solar-powered streetlights, climate-resilient water, sanitation, and power network. This will be a state-of-the- art green and resilient economic zone that will set an example for sustainable, resilient and environmentally sound industrial development in Bangladesh. It will also establish Dhaka’s first digital entrepreneurship hub in the Janata Software Technology Park and turn it into a green building. The project will encourage digital entrepreneurship through training and innovation support, with special emphasis on women digital entrepreneurs. This will include a program to mentor, advise and train digital entrepreneurs for start-up and scale-up facilities and University Innovation Hubs in technological universities and business schools. By creating jobs and attracting private investment, the project will help economic recovery from the pandemic. EXPECTED RESULTS 150,000 new jobs $3.7 billion in direct private 150 companies using green and 30,000 tones/ year of investment in economic zones resilient services and facilities greenhouse gas emissions avoided THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 59 GOVERNANCE STRENGTHENING PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAM TO ENABLE SERVICE DELIVERY BETTER FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT IMPROVES SERVICE DELIVERY APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION March 3 June 30 $170 million Ministry of Finance 2019 2024 OVERVIEW A sound Public Financial Management (PFM) system is essential for sound macroeconomic management and good governance. Over the past two decades, the government has made efforts to improve the Public Financial Management (PFM) systems. These reforms improved the medium-term expenditure framework and financial management legislation; strengthened capacity for debt management; developed a fiscal programming framework; introduced a new budget and accounting classification system and (BACS); and improvements were made to the integrated budget and accounting system (iBAS++). Additionally, the Institute of Public Finance and the Financial Management Academy were developed to build capacity of government officials. The Strengthening Public Financial Management Program to Enable Service Delivery (SPFMS) aims to build on past reforms and improve fiscal forecasting, and public budget preparation and execution. This will also help improve fiscal discipline, financial reporting, pension and debt management and greater transparency and SOE governance. PFM reforms will contribute toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and upper middle-income status by 2030. 62 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE FUTURE Despite the important improvements in PFM garnered under pass reforms, there is The program will create efficiency that frees up resources for significant room to improve several PFM areas, which are limiting effective delivery of service delivery to the citizens. Well-functioning audit committees services to citizens. Some limitations include: less than optimal budget absorption capacity, will help to resolve issues leading to significant fund recoveries. shortcomings in the revenue forecast and expenditure budgets, insufficient fiscal and Improved SOE performance monitoring and reduced financial performance monitoring of State-owned Enterprises (SOEs), and significant delays in the support from government will contribute to additional fiscal preparation of fiscal reports. These key PFM bottlenecks are affecting the timely availability resources. The learning hub at the Institute of Public Finance of resources for service delivery. will build capacity of civil servants, enabling them to tackle PFM challenges using best practices. APPROACH The government is committed to address PFM bottlenecks by strengthening financial management institutions and systems. In 2018, the government approved a PFM Action Plan (2018-23), which lays out the g PFM priorities. SPFMS will help the government implement eight of the 14 components in the Action Plan. SPFMS uses the World Bank’s Program for Results financing instrument developed with ten disbursement linked indicators (DLIs). The government will use its own rules and procedures of the PFM process and systems throughout implementation. This ensures that work processes are suitable for Bangladesh’s context. Additionally, SPFMS allows the necessary flexibility for the government to course-correct as needed to achieve reform targets. The PFM reform leadership, coordination and monitoring will provide the needed program management, reporting and behavioural change support. EXPECTED RESULTS Informed budget preparation and a Improved capacity of Budget Accelerated budget release to Reduced cash held outside of medium-term debt strategy Management Committees Disbursing Officers the Treasury Single Account Modernized payment Streamlined pension Strengthened Implemented an effective change management processes: electronic processing and payment assessment, disclosure approach and governance structure for PFM reform, funds transfer system systems and monitoring of SOEs including the functioning of a PFM Learning Hub THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 63 DIGITIZING IMPLEMENTATION MONITORING AND PUBLIC PROCUREMENT PROJECT TECHNOLOGY DRIVES PUBLIC PROCUREMENT REFORM APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION July 28 June 30 $55 million Central Procurement Technical Unit, Implementation 2017 2022 Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) OVERVIEW Public procurement is among the most significant issues affecting public sector performance. Appropriate and efficient use of public fund for procurement is important for Bangladesh, like any other country, to achieve its growth aspirations. Public procurement is not just a mechanism for executing transactions but an integral part of strategic development process. Although the landscape of procurement has been reshaped in the last several years, yet several challenges remain particularly in the areas of VOICES implementation delays, ineffective contract administration, and inadequate capacity for quality project implementation Through e-tendering we monitoring. can submit tenders from our The World Bank is supporting the government of Bangladesh with the Digitizing Implementation Monitoring own home. I have won over 40-crore and Public Procurement Project (DIMAPPP) to improve public procurement performance and enhance taka work through this fair and transparent capacity for implementation monitoring of development programs/projects. With this intervention, the manner. The Kanashakula-Bhuttibhatshala entire public sector procurement, covering over 1300 agencies, will come under the electronic road is my first work through e-tendering. government procurement (e-GP) system and implementation of all development programs/projects will be monitored digitally. MD. ASHRAFUL ALAM Contractor, Sherpur District 64 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE Procurement delays especially in large value contracts coupled with delayed project implementation affects the FUTURE timely delivery of services with quality, thereby impacts the achievement of development goals of the government. Through interface of the e-GP system The introduction of digital technology in procurement helped improve performance of a few key agencies who piloted with the Accountant General’s office electronic procurement (E-GP). But vast majority of the public agencies remained outside the scope. Key challenges include for payment system and the smart inconsistent use of IT-based solutions in procurement, poor contract management and administration, absence of systemic NID card, the National Board of measurement of procurement performance by all agencies, inadequate capacity of procurement management and Revenue is expecting to bring about inadequate skill and know how in monitoring project implementation. With the proposed enhancement of e-GP system and a transformational change in the digital monitoring, a transformational change is expected in the development programs when the entire public sector will procurement practice of the country. have on-line uniform and consistent framework with built-in digital tracking mechanism from the start to end of the project. The project monitoring information system (e-PMIS) will be integrated with associated electronic platforms of the government to provide a uniform APPROACH structure across the country for programs The project aims to help Bangladesh expand e-GP to all public sector organizations and improve capacity to monitor implementation monitoring. implementation of development projects and programs using digital technology. For this, it provides support for restructuring of the existing procurement nodal agency, Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU), into an authority with more autonomy, enhancing the scope of e-GP covering all public sector organizations, professionalizing procurement management including the introduction of open contracting data standards (OCDS), citizen engagement in monitoring and citizen portal. It also also encompasses behavioural change communication and strengthening capacity of the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) to monitor implementation of all development programs/ projects digitally. Necessary law to establish the Authority, including amendments of the existing Public Procurement Act 2006 will be in place while a strategic approach to bring in all public sector organization under the uniform framework of e-GP and digital implementation monitoring (electronic Project Management Information System, e-PMIS) will be pursued. The project has an extensive program for professionalizing public procurement officials with each having a unique tracking number. The project has been also piloting citizen’s engagement for monitoring procurement contracts at rural areas, which will be complimented by a citizen portal containing disclosable information of development program contracts. EXPECTED RESULTS Reducing procurement Enhancing invitation Making citizen monitoring of procurement contracts lead time to 70 days of bids in e-GP to effective in 45 sub-districts Monitoring at least 45% of from the existing 100 days 75% from 2% development program implementation digitally THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 65 VAT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM PROJECT IMPROVING VAT ADMINISTRATION FOR HIGHER REVENUE MOBILIZATION APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCY BASIC May 9 June 30 $60 million National Board of Revenue (NBR) INFORMATION 2014 2021 OVERVIEW Low revenue mobilization capacity stands out as one of the main development challenges in Bangladesh. Improving Bangladesh’s ability to raise tax revenue, and in particular, strengthening the Value Added Tax (VAT) administration is critical for faster economic growth. At its current level, tax revenue collection provides an insufficient base of domestic revenue for Bangladesh to finance investment in human capital and infrastructure required to reach middle-income country status by 2021. Over the medium term, this places the country at a distinct disadvantage in terms of managing fiscal policy and having sufficient resources for infrastructure investments and improved service delivery. The VAT Improvement Program (VIP) aims to modernize Bangladesh’s value added tax (VAT) administration and to increase tax revenue by introducing automation, including online VAT taxpayer services, and improving transparency in the VAT administration system. Such services help encourage better compliance. 66 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE FUTURE Compared to other countries in South Asia, the ratio of tax collection in Bangladesh remains low at 9 Despite significant implementation challenges, the percent of GDP in FY 2017. Bangladesh has not been able to sustain improvements in tax collection, National Board of Revenue (NBR) is committed to the particularly in VAT to raise tax revenue – a key resource to mobilize investments in economic growth implement the VAT and Supplementary Duty Act. and development. In FY 2017, the VAT and supplementary duties collection stood at 4.8 percent of GDP To do so, NBR has initiated a Medium-Term Revenue compared to 4.7 percent and 4.4 percent of GDP in FY 2016 and FY 2015 respectively. Strategy which will help in achieving the goals of domestic resource mobilization (DRM) reforms. Developing a multi-year and holistic strategy and an action plan is important for revenue policy, legal and APPROACH administrative reform consistent with the countries’ The VAT Improvement Program Project aims to introduce automation, including online VAT taxpayer development goals, and enhancing the ability of tax services, and improve transparency in the VAT administration system. The project aims for the ratio of systems to achieve strong, robust growth and wider VAT to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to increase by at least one percentage point of GDP by 2019. social objectives. A new VAT and Supplementary Duty Act is expected to come into effect in July 2019. This will provide better services and reduced administrative costs for taxpayers. The VIP provides the impetus for a shift from manual to automated and modernized core tax business processing in a transparent manner. The program is part of the government’s broader tax reform agenda as articulated in the Tax Modernization Plan 2011-16, which envisaged policy and institutional reform alongside automation of NBR operations to improve services to taxpayers, reduce administrative costs and improve compliance. The project includes a campaign to raise awareness of the need to register and file for VAT. It will also support the VAT administration system in becoming fully compliant with the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The VAT Improvement Program follows a Program for Results financing instrument, which disburses entirely against results – rather than procurements. There are six disbursement linked indicators, includes process milestones, to keep the VAT implementation plan on track and increase in thenumber of VAT payers. It aims to increase online filing and payment, proactive disclosure and improve fiduciary environment. EXPECTED RESULTS Active registered taxpayers At least 1 percentage point increase increased by 30,000 for the ratio of VAT to GDP by 2019 THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 67 ENHANCING DIGITAL GOVERNMENT & ECONOMY PROJECT FOUNDATION FOR A DIGITAL ECONOMY APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION June 19 September 30 $295 million Bangladesh Computer Council 2020 2025 OVERVIEW The Government of Bangladesh’s ‘Digital Bangladesh Vision’ views digital development as core to its overall economic development strategy. The Vision aims to digitalize the government, public service delivery to citizens as well as businesses. Further, it envisions improving digital capabilities of the workforce and IT industry to prepare for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Technology is shifting production patterns and employment skills-in-demand globally. Individuals need relevant skills to find opportunities to work in rapidly digitizing sectors and occupations, both in Bangladesh and globally. Firms must digitize to access new markets and modes of production. The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the value of digital connectivity and services. Transitioning to new digital business models can help mitigate the impact of the pandemic and any future crisis by keeping business operations running smoothly in the short term and improving productivity in the long term. 68 CHALLENGE Bangladesh’s reliance on labor intensive manufacturing for exports and on remittances from low-skilled workers makes it vulnerable to the disruptive impact of emerging technologies and the Fourth Industrial Revolution unless it gears up for digital transformation. COVID-19 has impacted economic activities across all sectors. Private consumption, the main engine of growth, is expected to slow and declining remittance inflows will likely reduce household income. The decline in exports, and fall in industrial production, are expected to dampen growth. Further, Bangladesh remains to be one of most vulnerable countries to climate change. Therefore, it is critical have proper digital infrastructure in place to continue operating and delivering services in the face of natural disasters. APPROACH The project will establish an integrated, cloud-computing digital platform for all government agencies and improve cyber-security of ICT systems across the public sector. This will build resiliency for future crises as the platform will enable the government to operate virtually and deliver critical public services to citizens and businesses. It will help the government develop legal frameworks, policies, rules, and implementation capacity to establish an enabling environment that is consistent with a digital government and digital economy. A Digital Leadership Academy will be established under the Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) to serve as the government’s digital innovation hub and training for its civil service. The project will train more than 100,000 youth in digital and disruptive technologies and establish Centres of Excellence with academia and the ICT industry. It will create 100,000 jobs, with a special focus on women. It will raise the revenues of IT firms by $300 million and promote local IT firms in international markets. The project will help digitalize small and medium enterprises and strategic industries to reduce vulnerabilities from the pandemic and prepare for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. EXPECTED RESULTS $200 million in cost-efficiency savings through use 61 GoB Ministries and Divisions with Establish a shared, cloud- of Integrated Digital Platform by GoB agencies improved end-point cybersecurity computing platform for use by any GoB agency to build, operate and maintain its sector-specific systems, 100,000 jobs, 30 percent $300 million increase in revenue of IT industry firms applications and services of which are for women supported by the project activities THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 69 HEALTH, NUTRITION & POPULATION COVID-19 EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS PROJECT RESPONSE TO A PANDEMIC APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION April 3 December 31 IDA $100 million Directorate General of Health Services of the 2020 2023 Ministry of Health and Family Welfare OVERVIEW Bangladesh has made significant progress across a range of health, nutrition and population (HNP) indicators, achieving wide coverage of high-impact interventions (such as immunization, oral rehydration therapy and family planning). The Bangladesh government is committed to attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, including SDG 3, which focuses on ensuring health and promoting well‐being for all The country’s high population density and rapid urbanization, however, makes it prone to high rates of morbidity from outbreaks of infectious diseases, including those outbreaks that typically follow the occurrence of natural disasters. Like the rest of the world, Bangladesh has been affected by the outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). 72 CHALLENGE While the government’s health service delivery network is substantial, government health spending is inadequate and as a proportion of gross domestic product is among the lowest in the world. As a direct consequence, individuals have to bear a large share of health care related expenditure with 67% of health expenditures borne by households through out-of-pocket expenditures. In addition, there is limited capacity to prevent, detect and respond to public health emergencies, based on an assessment of the country’s International Health Regulations (IHR) core capacities to respond to public health threats, carried out by a Joint External Evaluation in 2016. The health systems are stretched in responding to the COVID-19 crisis and additional resources are needed to strengthen it. APPROACH Within three weeks of detection of the first COVID-19 case in Bangladesh, the World Bank approved $100 million for immediate support to the Government of Bangladesh to prevent, detect and respond to the threat posed by COVID-19 and strengthen national systems for public health preparedness. In doing so, the project will support implementation of the relevant parts of the national plan to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. EXPECTED RESULTS Suspected cases of COVID-19 reported Designated hospitals Designated laboratories and investigated based on national with isolation capacity with COVID-19 diagnostic guidelines equipment, test kits, reagents, and trained staff per national guidelines Districts in which COVID-19 Doctors and nurses risk communication trained in COVID-19 infection materials have been rolled out prevention and control THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 73 HEALTH SECTOR SUPPORT PROJECT BUILDING A HEALTHY NATION APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION July 28 December 31 IDA: $500 million Ministry of Health and Family 2017 2022 $15 GFF grant: million Welfare (MOHFW) Multi-Donor Trust Fund: $40 million OVERVIEW Bangladesh has made remarket progress in the health, nutrition and population (HNP) outcomes and has surpassed many neighbouring countries in South Asia in terms of achieving the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Over the last few decades, key health indicators such as child and maternal mortality, as well as fertility rates, have dropped significantly while slow progress has been made on child undernutrition. Despite the progress, Bangladesh continues to face challenges with health system governance and equitable access to HNP services, including across regions and socio-economic groups. The World Bank is supporting the government’s Fourth Health, Population and Nutrition Sector Program (Fourth HNP Sector Program) covering the period 2017-2022. The HSSP’s objective is to strengthen HNP sector’s core management systems and delivery of essential HNP services with a focus on Chittagong and Sylhet divisions. The HSSP supports the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s (MOHFW) program through three main components: (a) governance and stewardship; (b) HNP systems strengthening; and (c) provision of quality HNP services. 74 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE The HNP sector faces three major challenges: FUTURE The HSSP is mobilizing i) Foundational financing and system development priorities: Health care expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product in additional resources to support Bangladesh is under one percent, far below the required level of the World Health Organization. While there are high levels of coverage to the government for providing of basic high-impact interventions, such as immunization, utilization of government services is low for some key services, such as HNP services in Cox’s Bazar delivery care. district to about one million (ii) Unfinished MDG agenda: It is important to maintain the gains achieved in many areas—such as immunization coverage—and further displaced Rohingya population. improve quality and coverage and reduce socio-economic and regional disparities. In some regions, including Sylhet and Chittagong division, key health indicators are below national average. Improvement in child undernutrition has been slow. More needs to be done to control of communicable diseases, particularly tuberculosis. (iii) Emerging challenges: As the country experiences demographic changes, emerging health challenges include non-communicable diseases (NCDs), adolescence health care and low HNP outcome among urban poor and high dependence on private sector services requiring high out-of-pocket health spending. APPROACH The government of Bangladesh has pursued a sector-wide approach (SWAp) since 1998, adopting a series of multi-year strategies, programs and budgets for management and development of the sector, with support from both domestic and international financing. The current Fourth HNP Sector Program covers 5.5 years (2017-22) with a planned cost of US$14.7 billion. The HSSP provides a platform for co-financing of the government’s sector program with a credit of US$500 million from IDA, a grant of US$15 million from the Global Financing Facility (GFF), and a multi- donor trust fund of US$40 million by Development Partners (Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom and Canada). RESULTS 50 million people benefitted in Improved capacity of MOHFW Sylhet and Chittagong divisions to deliver HNP services THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 75 POVERTY AND EQUITY NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR DEVELOPMENT OF STATISTICS IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT PROJECT RELIABLE DATA FOR BETTER PLANNING APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION March 22 August 31 $15 million Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics 2018 2022 OVERVIEW Quality statistics are necessary for development and poverty reduction efforts. They provide evidence for policy decisions. Recognizing the importance of timely and quality statistics in policy decisions, the Government of Bangladesh approved the National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) in 2013, together with the Statistics Act 2013, that envisages an “integrated, professional, efficient, and effective National Statistics System, under the guidance and leadership of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and to produce official statistics that meet the current and evolving needs of national and international users in a transparent and timely fashion using international standards.” The NSDS Implementation Support Project will support the implementation of key elements of the NSDS strategy. It will help improve the capacity of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) to produce and disseminate quality statistics in a timely manner. 78 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE FUTURE Bangladesh needs to strengthen the National Statistical System to produce quality core statistics and make them The project has started implementation. accessible in a timely manner by building the capacity of BBS. This requires acting on three levels: first, there is a need for an enabling environment where the statistical system has the necessary legal and institutional support to conduct its business. This entails updating statistical legislation, policies and institutional arrangements. Second, it is key to improve BBS’s organization and the production of statistics by strengthening management systems, improving human and ICT resources, and the statistical infrastructure. Finally, it is important to focus on strengthening user-producer dialogue so that statistics are used, and users’ feedback is incorporated in the production cycle or make statistical production more user-centric. APPROACH The project acts on the three levels of interventions mentioned above and are closely related and should be implemented in a synchronized and well- sequenced way. The project aims to overcome key bottlenecks and build the foundation for future investments contemplated under the NSDS strategy. It will enhance coverage and improve collection and quality of data for core statistics, including, national accounts and statistics on price, labor, industry, social sectors, and agriculture. Where applicable, it will also produce gender-disaggregated data. The project will build on the progress made in some reform areas of the NSDS. EXPECTED RESULTS Core statistics produced by BBS are Core statistics Core surveys’ microdata is Increased user improved in line with international standards released on schedule anonymized and made accessible satisfaction with BBS THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 79 SOCIAL PROTECTION SECOND PROGRAMMATIC JOBS DEVELOPMENT POLICY CREDIT CREATING QUALITY JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION June 19 December 15 IDA: $250 million Finance Division, Ministry of Finance 2020 2020 (development policy credit) OVERVIEW Despite Bangladesh’s robust economic growth, the pace of job creation has slowed sharply in recent years. The creation of quality, inclusive jobs is a critical priority to speed up the journey toward upper middle- income status and attain the Sustainable Development Goals. The Bangladesh government’s agenda targets faster job creation, improved job quality, and access to jobs for vulnerable groups through reforms in several critical areas including trade and investment, environmental standards and climate change, pensions, strengthened worker protection, expanded women’s labor market participation, enhanced support for overseas migrants, and improved coordination of skills development programs. 82 CHALLENGE APPROACH Despite Bangladesh’s remarkable development progress, availability of quality jobs The Second Programmatic Jobs Development Policy Credit—the second in a remains a persistent challenge. Jobs are often of poor quality with high levels of series of three operations— will support the government program of reforms to vulnerability; these include unpaid agricultural workers, day laborers and overseas address the country’s jobs challenges by: (i) modernizing the trade and investment migrants. Moreover, workers are at risk from lack of basic occupational health, safety, environment; (ii) strengthening systems that protect workers and build resilience; and environmental standards. With 36 percent females participating in the labor force and (iii) improving policies and programs that enhance access to jobs for vulnerable versus more than 80 percent males, gender disparities remain acute. populations, especially during the pandemic. Due to the country’s high vulnerability to climate change, the need to create alternative The program of reform actions is built around three pillars: livelihoods for current and future migrants is critical. At present, many government and • To unlock short-to-medium term job creation and accelerate recovery from development partners’ programs aim to support these target groups, but fragmented COVID-19 by improving the overall environment for private investment and exports. programs require better coordination and robust institutional support. • To increase protection of workers and includes new actions to strengthen and expand of safety nets in response to the COVID-19 crisis. This pillar builds on the The COVID-19 pandemic has put livelihoods of several million in both formal and Bank’s broad engagement with the GoB in strengthening social protection and informal sectors at risk. As of early April 2020, more than $3 billion in existing RMG labor market systems. export orders had been cancelled and most large global buyers have suspended future • To strengthen programs and institutions that support youth, women, and overseas orders. This has forced the closure of many factories, putting a million or more jobs at migrants to access current and emerging job opportunities. risk in the RMG sector. EXPECTED RESULTS* Improved and more sustainable trade and investment environment: Strengthened worker Enhanced access to jobs: protections and build • 25% reduced time and cost to set up a new business resilience: • Reduced average cost of migration through • 5% annual growth in new business registration (10% for women-owned formal channels businesses) • 5 million individuals • 30% real increase in budget allocation for • 70% reduced rate of physical inspection of imports and 3-6 days reduced supported by new cash supporting the protection of migrants time to clear imports transfer programs • 50,000 workers trained in partnership with • 891 bond license holders outside of RMG sector to increased access to the • 1000 labor and safety private industries (of whom 20,500 are women) bonded warehouses complaints addressed • 500 competency standards (by occupation • Full compliance to environmental standards under the National Environment by DIFE (quarterly and level) developed and introduced in at least Policy 2018 of key export-oriented industries. average), of which one training center • 10% per annum increase in total ministry budget allocations to ‘climate 50 relate to sexual • Licensing and regulatory framework for child change capacity building and institutional strengthening’ harassment or Gender- daycare centers adopted for use • 500 firms reached through trainings/assessments of ESQ and OSH guidelines based Violence (GBV) *under all three operations THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 83 CASH TRANSFER MODERNIZATION PROJECT SAFETY NETS FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION January 31 June 30 $300 million Department of Social Services 2018 2023 OVERVIEW Despite Bangladesh’s success in reducing poverty, still a large number of people live below and around the poverty line. The Government of Bangladesh currently implements a number of cash transfer programs to benefit the poorest and most vulnerable populations. To cover the most socially excluded populations—the poor elderly, widowed, and persons-with-disabilities—four major cash transfer programs are in place: the Old Age Allowance, Allowances for the Widow, Deserted and Destitute Women, Allowances for the Financially Insolvent Disabled, and Stipend for Disabled Students, which collectively reach six million poorest people with a total budget of BDT 40.80 billion in FY 2019. The World Bank’s Cash Transfer Modernization Project aims to improve the transparency and efficiency of these four cash transfer programs by modernizing service delivery. The project provides technical assistance to the Department of Social Services (DSS), under the Ministry of Social Welfare (MoSW), which implements these programs, as well as financial support for the Old Age Allowance. Modernization of service delivery would directly benefit vulnerable populations, which would include current beneficiaries of cash transfer programs, as well as non-beneficiaries who may qualify for these programs. 84 CHALLENGE TOWARDS The cash transfer programs face four major challenges: THE FUTURE • Lack of harmonized business process: When multiple programs operate without a harmonized business process or coordination, they may The project envisages duplicate efforts or fail to achieve potential synergies. Further streamlining can allow more optimal utilization of their respective resources. an improved selection process so that those • Lack of Pro-Poor Targeting: Beneficiary identification currently relies solely on local governments, which risks exclusion of the poor and who are most in need inclusion of the non-poor. A uniform targeting system across programs combined with local screening process can better help identify the of social protection poor and improve the accuracy of and transparency of the process. can benefit from it; • Outdated Administrative Systems: The digitization of program information and processes such as payment delivery can significantly improved efficiency and improve the responsiveness to citizen and beneficiary needs. transparency in program • Limited Social Accountability: Rudimentary payment systems could significantly undermine social accountability. This has a negative administration so that impact on the elderly, persons-with-disabilities, those living in remote areas, and the socially excluded, who face multiple barriers to access the scope of leakage or points of service and thus rely on intermediaries often at a cost. poor management of scarce public resources can be minimized; and facilitate convenient payment collection for APPROACH vulnerable people so that As outlined in the National Social Security Strategy, major social assistance programs are expected to be administered by Ministry of they can have access Social Welfare (MoSW), from 2026 onwards, for more harmonized service delivery. To position itself for this upcoming mandate, MoSW to their entitlements, has commenced setting up a service delivery system for major cash transfer programs, while institutionalizing a model to integrate other close to home, as and programs in the future. Building upon the MoSW platform, other line ministries are expected to implement various special programs when required without covering disaster response, food security, social empowerment, etc. being exploited by intermediaries. Meeting this objective requires significant changes to program administration to overhaul business processes – outreach, intake and registration, needs assessment, decisions on enrollment, recertification, case management and benefit payment as well as grievance redress mechanism, among others. The planned modernization of such processes would entail the extensive use of information and communications technology tools and interoperability mechanisms. This would enable the establishment of a results-based monitoring and evaluation system to rigorously assess the poverty impacts of these programs and better support policymaking endeavors. EXPECTED RESULTS 80% of beneficiaries 60% of the poorest BDT 20 billion of benefits 1/3 reduction in time taken for belonging to lowest two population covered by delivered via digital payment cash withdrawal by beneficiaries expenditure quintiles cash transfers THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 85 INCOME SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR THE POOREST EMPOWERING POOR MOTHERS TO IMPROVE CHILD NUTRITION APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCY BASIC December 16 June 15 $300 million Local Government Division INFORMATION 2014 2022 OVERVIEW Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in reducing poverty over the past two decades. Yet, the country is among the 10 countries with the highest prevalence of malnutrition. About 31 percent of children under five are stunted. The children from poor households bear a disproportionate burden of stunted growth. Ensuring nutrition prenatally and in the early years helps to maximize a child’s brain development and growth and is critical to boost the earnings capacity in the later years of life and to prevent the transmission of poverty across VOICES generations. I have my own post office The Income Support Program for the Poorest (ISPP) Project—also known as the Jawtno Program—initiated a cash benefits cash card and am very happy program for the poorest mothers and pregnant women in exchange for their participation in activities to improve their to receive payment with which children’s nutrition and cognitive development. ISPP is built upon the success of the pilot Shombhob, which found that I can act on the knowledge I learn at my beneficiary households experienced an increase in consumption of nutritious foods and children’s health outcomes community clinic sessions to improve when cash transfers were linked to the use of growth monitoring and nutritional counseling services. health and nutrition of my children.. The project will benefit 10 percent of the poorest households across 43 of poor Upazilas with high child SHEFALI BEGUM malnutrition rates. Project beneficiary, Bhurungamari 86 TOWARDS THE CHALLENGE FUTURE Well-designed safety net programs can improve child health and nutrition outcomes, while contributing to As part of building and protecting poverty reduction goals. The Government of Bangladesh currently spends over 14 percent of its budget on over human capital from the early years, the 100 safety net programs. But only a small portion of this budget supports programs that aim to improve maternal Government is designing the nationwide and child nutrition and cognitive development. Most safety net programs are implemented by Union Parishads, Child Benefit Scheme: the ISPP Project which face administrative capacity issues and operate with limited budgets. At the same time, the numerous line provides demonstrative value on the ministries responsible for the various safety nets do not systematically coordinate implementation efforts at the local design, implementation and impact of this level. Given this situation, setting up common administrative platforms at the local level for safety net beneficiary critical investment. identification, enrolment, and payment can enhance implementation capacity in safety net delivery. APPROACH The ISPP Project provides income support to the poorest mothers based on their uptake of services aimed at improving their children’s nutrition and cognitive development. Pregnant women and mothers of children below five years from poor households will be eligible for social assistance under the project. The beneficiary mothers and pregnant women will receive quarterly electronic cash transfers for utilizing services related to their children’s health and development, including antenatal care visits, child growth monitoring and early learning activities for children under the age of five at the community clinics. The project also helps improve the coordination among safety net programs at the local level by building common administrative and service delivery platforms, in partnership with the Directorate General of Health Services, the Postal Directorate, and the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. EXPECTED RESULTS 600,000 poorest 2.7 million poor people Improved capacity of mothers to receive across 43 upazilas in northern local level government to deliver cash transfers Bangladesh to benefit safety net programs THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 87 SAFETY NET SYSTEMS FOR THE POOREST PROJECT IMPROVING DELIVERY OF SAFETY NETS APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION June 26 June 30 $745 million Department of Disaster Management; 2013 2021 Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics OVERVIEW The Government of Bangladesh currently implements several public workfare and humanitarian assistance programs to support the poorest populations during periods of seasonal unemployment and to provide protection against disaster-induced shocks. These programs are the (i) Employment Generation Program for the Poorest, (ii) Food for Work / Work for Money, (iii) Test Relief, (iv) Vulnerable Group Feeding, and (v) Gratuitous Relief, which cover around twelve million beneficiaries with a total budget of BDT 70.19 billion in FY 2019. The World Bank is supporting Bangladesh with the Safety Net Systems for the Poorest Project which aims to improve the equity, efficiency and transparency of these major safety net programs to benefit the poorest households. The Project provides the majority of its resources towards performance-based co-financing for the Employment Generation Program for the Poorest implemented by the Department of Disaster Management (DDM) under the Ministry of Disaster Management & Relief (MoDMR). The remainder of the financing is provided as technical assistance to DDM, as well as to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) under the Statistics & Informatics Division (SID) to support the establishment of the country’s first universal social registry. 88 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE While Bangladesh has halved the number of poor people living in the country since 2000, nearly a quarter still live below FUTURE the poverty line while more than one in ten live in extreme poverty. Safety net programs play a significant role in the The Project will leverage country’s poverty reduction efforts, and public expenditure on such programs is approximately 1.4% of GDP per fiscal year. improved delivery systems for Despite the range of interventions, only one-third of the poor are covered by safety nets primarily due to challenges in safety net programs to support identifying households who may qualify for social assistance based on their vulnerability and poverty status, as well as in the development of the adaptive identifying inclusion errors in safety net programs. The programs implemented by DDM represent a significant share of the capacity of such programs in social protection budget and improvements to program targeting, as well as other aspects of service delivery, would help mitigating and responding to ensure the right benefits reach the right people at the right time. to shocks. In this regard the use of the NHD across other government programs is a strategic priority. APPROACH The Project co-finances a portion of Government expenditures on beneficiary wages under the Employment Generation Program for the Poorest. The co-financing uses a results-based disbursement modality based upon incremental improvements in the performance of the major safety net programs implemented by DDM. Results targets currently focus on improvements to (i) household targeting, (ii) administrative systems, and (iii) payment systems, aspects of these programs which address their equity, efficiency and transparency. These targets would be achieved by the (i) utilization of poverty data to identify potential recipients of social assistance, (ii) establishment of a common safety net program management information system (MIS) for better administration, and (iii) scale-up digital payments of cash benefits. In addition, the Project supports the establishment and operationalization of the National Household Database (NHD) to facilitate household targeting for safety net programs across different ministries and thus help harmonize a major process in the social protection service delivery system. EXPECTED RESULTS Greater share of beneficiaries in, Reduced duplication of Improved access and security and benefits going towards, the beneficiaries across programs in the delivery of benefits bottom expenditure quintile THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 89 SOCIAL, URBAN, RURAL AND RESILIENCE MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE AND SERVICES PROJECT IMPROVING SERVICE DELIVERY IN SMALL CITIES APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCY BASIC January 14 June 30 $410 million Local Government Engineering Department, INFORMATION 2014 2021 Bangladesh Municipal Development Fund OVERVIEW In South Asia, Bangladesh continues to witness one of the most rapid and unplanned urbanization. Yet, the cities, especially the district towns and municipalities offer inadequate infrastructure and low levels of urban services. They face severe challenges such as inadequate technical and financial capacities, insufficient administrative capacity, low accountability, and inadequate basic urban services that constrain them from developing into competitive and modern cities. The Municipal Governance and Services Project (MGSP) helps to make the participating municipalities and city corporations become strong, responsive and inclusive local government institutions providing better urban services and responding promptly and effectively to emergencies. The project is benefitting around 3.4 million people living in 26 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), mostly located in main growth corridors along national highways. 92 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE FUTURE Since urban areas contribute almost 60 percent of GDP of Bangladesh, managing urbanization effectively is The World Bank is assisting the Government, critical for achieving the country’s vision of becoming an upper-middle income country by 2031. through the LGED and the BMDF, with resources and capacity building in supporting the ULBs The ULBs had historically limited capacity to respond to urbanization challenges. The 335 ULBs (11 City meet their gaps and needs. In the coming years, Corporations and 324 Pourashavas) are responsible for providing basic urban services, such as roads, drains, as the country continues on its growth path streetlights, municipal markets, transport terminals etc. But most of the ULBs do not have or use standard urban -- with concomitant rising urbanization – there planning and management tools, such as strategic plans or master plans. They often lack the required skills to will be an increasing demand for improved respond to the evolving challenges of urban growth and hence cannot effectively provide quality services to urban infrastructure and services. The World their residents. Furthermore, many ULBs lack financial resources needed to develop infrastructure. Generally, Bank will continue its support for building up the residents are not involved in planning process and hence the municipalities’ investment programs do not an effective urban management system in ULBs always reflect the needs of the community. and improve the quality of life for the urban population. APPROACH In response to urban governance challenges, MGSP is helping develop an accountable and inclusive local governance system. MGSP provides operation and maintenance grants to the pre-selected 26 ULBs for routine maintenance of municipal assets. The project is supporting participating municipalities gain access to resources by providing block grants for further infrastructure investments. To qualify, ULBs are required to meet performance targets, such as municipal planning, social accountability, public financial management and revenue mobilization. The project also supports the national government agencies responsible for addressing the increasing challenges of rapid urbanization in Bangladesh. It has provided training to officials of 26 ULBs for e-GP, financial management, social and environmental monitoring, contract management, etc. Further, the project is supporting nationwide computerization of ULBs. Around 63 urban local bodies have received financing through a mix of grants and loans for improvement of basic urban services. RESULTS Benefiting 3.4 14,604 256 km 160 km 84 km 667 bridges/ 65 street lights million people meters of road of urban roads of drains of footpath culverts constructed living in 26 Urban works/retaining wall improved improved constructed constructed Local Bodies completed THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 93 BANGLADESH URBAN RESILIENCE PROJECT HELPING TO MAKE CITIES STRONGER APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION March 24 April 30 $173 million Dhaka North City Corporation, Rajdhani Unnayan 2015 2022 Katripakhha (RAJUK- Capital Development Authority), Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, and Ministry of Planning OVERVIEW Bangladesh is among most disaster-prone countries in the world. It is susceptible to floods, cyclones and earthquakes. The Government of Bangladesh has instituted disaster risk reduction policies and invested in infrastructure along coastal areas to mitigate the risks from floods and cyclones. Over the years, government has demonstrated that investment in flood management and cyclone preparedness saves lives, reduces economic losses and protects development gains. Disaster Risk Management (DRM) solutions in an urban context present greater challenge. The vulnerability of Bangladesh’s urban areas is neither well understood, nor adequately addressed in the country’s policy framework. 94 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE FUTURE Land use planning regulations and public service delivery in urban areas could not keep up with the pace of While the Urban Resilience Project targets growth. The current regulatory environment is opaque and enforcement mechanisms for urban development Dhaka and Sylhet, this approach can be control do not address structural safety, leading to lack of enforcement capability and accountability. In this scaled up in the future to focus on other context, any hazards, such as floods, fires, building collapses, or earthquakes, present a formidable threat to life urban centers. Retrofitting key infrastructure, and prosperity. supporting risk sensitive land use With the nearest major fault line is believed to be in less than 60 km away, Dhaka is vulnerable to seismic risk and planning, addressing flooding and seismic fire. Moreover, the city is poorly prepared to respond to a crisis of a significant scale within the metropolitan area. vulnerabilities, and scaling up emergency Sylhet, one of the largest cities in the country, is also near to a fault line and extremely vulnerable to earthquakes. management and response would strengthen institutions and increase resilience in other Recent tragedies of building collapse or building fire underscores the extreme vulnerability of the built cities as well. environment and need to increase capacity to respond to disasters. APPROACH The Urban Resilience Project (URP) will address seismic risk and reduce structural vulnerability of future building constructions in Dhaka and Sylhet. It helps strengthen the capacity of the public agencies to respond to emergencies and strengthen systems. The project will help put an emergency management system in place; mobilize resources at all levels; and assign roles and responsibilities more efficiently. It will develop a consensus-driven analytical foundation required for longer-term investments to reduce risk in the built environment of Dhaka, Sylhet and other cities. The project also supports the institutional infrastructure and competency to reduce long-term disaster vulnerability in Dhaka. It will address both the existing built environment as well as future development. EXPECTED RESULTS Increased decentralized emergency Increased capacity of officials and emergency Systems and assessments established to response services in Dhaka and Sylhet. management response personnel. reduce vulnerability of buildings THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 95 BANGLADESH WEATHER AND CLIMATE SERVICES REGIONAL PROJECT EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS FOR BETTER RESILIENCE APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION June 03 December 31 $113 million Bangladesh Meteorology Department (BMD), 2016 2022 Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) OVERVIEW The country is self-sufficient in food production but in the event of significant natural disaster, progress can be hampered. The Bangladesh Weather and Climate Services Regional Project (BWCSRP) seeks to modernize the country’s weather, water, and climate information systems for forecasting and strengthening of service delivery in priority sectors and communities. It aims to build institutional capacity and coordination of agencies which are vital to strengthening disaster preparedness and climate resilience in Bangladesh. 96 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE Due to its unique geographical position, Bangladesh is exposed to extreme weather events such as tropical cyclones associated FUTURE with storm surges, floods, thunderstorms and drought. Unavailability of reliable forecasting and information on weather and The project hopes to bring in climate can affect the productivity of key sectors such as agriculture. Hence, the country needs to modernize hydrological and innovation, both technological and meteorological (‘hydromet’) services and strengthen early warning systems. operational, to help the country access This requires substantial investment in and transformation of its hydromet service providers: the Bangladesh Meteorology the latest advances in the field and Department (BMD) and the Hydrology Division of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB). Currently both have build capacity through collaboration inadequate observation network, hardware, software and human resource capacity. They also require a re-visioning of their with universities. agencies to meet the rapid advances in science and technology. There is considerable unmet demand from user sectors such as The Department of Agricultural agriculture, water, disaster management, aviation, energy ministries. Extension is implementing the third Implementation challenges relate to the inherent technical complexity and multi-institutional nature of the issues being component of the project: generating addressed. agromet advisories for farmers in all 64 districts, twice a week, in collaboration with research agencies and BMD. These advisories also APPROACH include livestock, poultry and fisheries The Bangladesh Weather and Climate Services Regional Project aims to modernize the country’s overall meteorological sectors. National level advisories are system, including weather forecasting, early warning systems, and delivery of weather and climate services. It also aims also prepared and disseminated once to improve access to such services by priority sectors and communities. The project will help strengthen meteorological a week. Early warning systems for information services, hydrological information services and early warning systems and support the development and delivery lightning, dissemination mechanisms of agrometeorological information. In addition, a contingent emergency response is available, which enables immediate and medium are being designed and reallocation of project funds to support disaster response following a request from the government in the event of a major developed. natural disaster. EXPECTED RESULTS 100,000 vulnerable people to receive Improved capacity for weather Farmer groups Establishment of early warning alerts for significant forecasting (with 24-hour will receive agro- a user satisfaction weather and water hazards public weather forecasts) advisories measurement system Approximately 1 million people in 4 districts to receive 300,000 farmers will Agro-met Kiosks will be installed community-level early warning systems for extreme weather events have access to information in 487 Upazilas THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 97 COASTAL EMBANKMENT IMPROVEMENT PROJECT - PHASE I PROTECTING COASTAL COMMUNITIES FROM CALAMITIES APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION June 26 June 30 Total $400 million Bangladesh Water 2013 2022 (IDA: $375 million + $ 25 million from Development Board (BWDB), Pilot Program for Climate Resilience) Ministry of Water Resources. OVERVIEW Coastal embankments are an integral part of the disaster risk reduction program for Bangladesh. There is clear evidence that embankments provided an effective buffer during the tidal surge resulting from Cyclone Sidr. The Coastal Embankment Improvement Project (CEIP) continues to help Bangladesh mitigate some of the large impacts of cyclones and flooding and improve emergency response in the coastal region. 98 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE FUTURE Bangladesh’s coastal zone spans over 580 km of coastline and includes territory where 28 percent of the $25 million out of the total of $400 million for the Coastal country’s population resides. The proportion of people living below the absolute poverty line is higher in the Embankment Improvement Project (CEIP) is from the Pilot coastal area than in the rest of the country. A recent World Bank study on the cost of adapting to extreme Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR), a targeted fund weather estimated that 8 million people are currently vulnerable to inundation depths greater than 1 meter within the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) framework. due to cyclonic storm surges. In a changing climate and without further adaptation measures, this number PPCR continues to pilot ways in which climate risk and will increase to 17 million people. Moreover, about 13.5 million people would be exposed to inundation resilience may be integrated into core development planning depths greater than 3 meters. There is an urgent need to rehabilitate and upgrade polder protection and and implementation. Future projects may follow CIF’s enhance the resilience of coastal areas to cyclones, tidal and flood inundations, and salinity intrusion. programmatic approach and investment, with a focus on strengthening the capacity of key institutions on adaptation and establishing web-based mechanisms for information and knowledge management. APPROACH The project aims to: (i) increase the area protected in selected polders from tidal floods and storms, which are expected to become more severe due to climate change; (ii) improve agricultural production by reducing saline water intrusion in selected polders; and (iii) improve the government’s capacity to respond promptly and effectively to a crisis or emergency. The project supports the rehabilitation and upgradation of protection polders to protect the areas from tidal flooding and frequent storm surges and reduce saline intrusion to enhance agricultural productivity. Rehabilitation of 17 polders in six coastal districts will provide direct protection to 760,000 people including 380,000 females living within the polder boundaries. This will enhance their livelihoods as increase agricultural productivity, and strengthen the overall resilience of the coastal areas. A comprehensive analysis will be undertaken to better understand the coastal dynamics to increase climate resilience in the coastal area. EXPECTED RESULTS 17 Polders to be rehabilitated in 6 coastal Improved protection for 760,000 100,800 hectares Cropping intensity districts: Bagerhat, Khulna, Satkhira, Barguna, people living within polder of area to be protected to be increased by Patuakhali, and Pirojpur boundaries have better protection 180% THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 99 DHAKA CITY NEIGHBORHOOD UPGRADING PROJECT A MORE LIVEABLE DHAKA CITY APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION March 29 June 30 $100.5 million Dhaka South City Corporation 2019 2024 under Local Government Division OVERVIEW With 36 percent of the country’s urban population living in Greater Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh has become one of the world’s most densely populated cities. The Dhaka Metropolitan has been the country’s engine of economic growth and job creation. To achieve its vision of becoming an upper- middle income country by 2031, Bangladesh must manage Dhaka’s urban growth. Dhaka’s urban development has not kept up with the city’s population growth, resulting in a messy and uneven urbanization process. 100 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE FUTURE Dhaka is one of the least liveable cities in the world. According to EIU Global Livability Index 2018, it ranked 139 out of 140 The project will contribute to learnings cities. Many residents, including the 3.5 million people living in informal settlements, often lack access to basic services, for rapid results for future expansion infrastructure, and amenities. Livings standards in many slums are worse than in rural areas, despite proximity to jobs. of sustainable urban public space Only two-thirds of the city is covered with piped water, less than 1 percent of domestic sewage generated is treated, improvement in other major cities in and 60 percent of municipal solid waste is collected. Severe traffic congestion is endemic, a consequence of inadequate Bangladesh with increased capacity infrastructure and public transport relative to the high population and economic density. Dhaka is the world’s fourth most of the City Corporations as lead polluted city; with pollution levels 8 times higher than World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Public and open spaces implementing agencies in sustainable are declining as a share of land use. The low liveability index disproportionately affects vulnerable and excluded groups such urban development. The project will as the poor, women and elderly. also contribute to the broader scheme of development for metro Dhaka as a whole, with expansion happening in the north, east and southern fringes. APPROACH The Dhaka City Neighborhood Upgrading Project (DCNUP) will help Dhaka transform into a more liveable and competitive city. The project aims to improve public spaces and urban services in four large neighborhoods—Kamrangir Char, Lalbagh, Sutrapur-Nayabazar-Gulistan, Khilgaon-Mughda-Bashabo—under the Dhaka South City Corporation. It will undertake interventions that are designed through a collaborative process with beneficiaries and that can be implemented quickly. The project will help improve the livability, vibrancy and regeneration of neighborhoods and thus enhance civic lives. The project will finance improvements in public spaces such as streets, sidewalks, parks, open spaces and community centres. It has identified priority areas for “rapid results” through consultations with civil society, think tanks and urban professionals. These include: improving pedestrian safety and mobility, enhancing open and green spaces to rejuvenate surroundings, transforming existing community centres into multi-use facilities to serve neighborhoods, and revitalization of waterfront areas. The project will enhance accessibility, usability, and safety, disaster and climate resiliency of the public spaces. It will also pilot interventions for safe mobility and traffic management. It will cater to the needs of women, youths, elderly and disabled, who often refrain from using public spaces. EXPECTED RESULTS 20% increase in 1 million people Improvement of Engagement with 60% 30 km 100% outreach to community of number of people enjoy improved 30 hectares of of citizens of the selected of roads selected neighborhoods regarding accessing enhanced urban living public spaces neighborhoods for design rehabilitated improvement in public space public spaces conditions of sub-projects THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 101 LOCAL GOVERNANCE SUPPORT PROJECT - 3 EMPOWERING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FOR IMPROVED SERVICE DELIVERY APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION January 31 December 31 $290 million Local Government Division 2017 2021 OVERVIEW Bangladesh has had a long history of local governance stretching back over 130 years, but it is only recently that local governments are increasingly realizing their potential within the development of the country. Built on the success of two preceding projects, the Third Local Governance Support Project (LGSP-3) aims to empower the local governments at grassroots level with discretionary funds that would enable communities decide and implement local development priorities. The pioneer project, LGSP was the first nationwide effort to strengthen the Union Parishads (UPs), the lowest tire of local governments in Bangladesh. Beginning in 2006, LGSP had successfully strengthen local governments that provide accountable services and has helped create the space for deeper decentralization. LGSP2 continued to support Government of Bangladesh’s decentralization efforts with the objective of strengthening Union Parishads to become accountable and responsive, supported by an efficient and transparent intergovernmental fiscal system to Union Parishads (the lowest tier of local governments). The LGSP-3 supports the institutionalization of these activities and processes in the government system. 102 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE Local governments in Bangladesh operate in a highly constrained policy and institutional environment. They have inadequate FUTURE fiscal autonomy and own source revenues, limited decision-making powers, and weak accountability systems. Subnational The ongoing LGSP-3 aims to mainstream expenditure as a share of total government expenditure has been less than 4 percent, while less than 2 percent of total and institutionalize the formula-based UP government revenue is collected at local levels. However, the over 4,500 UPs provide communities with opportunities for fiscal transfer system into the government’s inclusive participation in civic affairs, to enhance government accountability and transparency at the grassroots level. inter-governmental fiscal framework, through several significant policy reforms. Successive governments have affirmed their intent to devolve powers to lower levels through more autonomy and increased Given the upcoming institutionalization of allocation of resources. In 2009, the local government laws were revised to facilitate the transfer of additional expenditure the basic block grants and the UP audits in responsibilities and enhanced fiscal resources to UPs. These reforms enabled a transparent and predictable fiscal transfer the mainstream government system under system for UPs and established by the consecutive phases of LGSP. Fiscal transfers supported by the project enabled UPs to LGSP-3, the processes introduced under execute their assigned expenditure mandate as per the 2009 UP Act. LGSP and further bolstered under LGSP2 in empowering the lowest tier of local governments of Bangladesh, is likely to be APPROACH sustained. By covering all 4569 UPs with about 130 million population, LGSP-3 continues to provide direct block grants to eligible UPs that meet the minimum transparency and governance conditions (i.e., participatory planning and open budgeting, timely submission of biannual financial reports, and annual audit clearance), along with full discretion for communities to decide their own priorities and grant utilization. In the final two years of LGSP-3, the administering of the basic block grants and the annual audits of all UPs will be brought under the direct purview of the Local Government Division of the Government of Bangladesh. The LGSP2 established a nationwide performance grant system with clear criteria and transparent assessment, supported by rigorous annual financial audits mainstreamed in all UPs nationwide. The open budgeting and planning as means for citizen engagement enabled the community members to discuss spending needs, set their priorities, and debate spending efficacy. Also, strengthening the UP Helpline and introducing women’s forums at the Upazila level will also continue under LGSP-3. The project continues to earmark about 30 percent of the grants for local schemes to be prioritized by women. It also has established a management information system for monitoring, evaluating and supervising local governments. EXPECTED RESULTS Over 130 million people across All 4,569 Union Parishads 30% of funds to schemes 20% annual increase the country benefitted from enhanced get annual financial audit and prioritized by women, through in Union Parishad resources in conjunction with improved performance assessment for over 400 functional Upazila own- source revenues governance and service delivery improved financial accountability Women’s Development Forums nationally THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 103 LOW-INCOME COMMUNITY HOUSE SUPPORT PROJECT IMPROVING LIVING CONDITION FOR THE URBAN POOR APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCY BASIC INFORMATION April 5 December 31 $50 million National Housing Authority, 2016 2021 Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation OVERVIEW Approximately 40 million people in Bangladesh live in urban areas, and 21 percent of them live below the poverty line. Rapid urban growth has put considerable burden on urban infrastructure, most notably housing. Every year, about half a million new people arrive in urban areas in Bangladesh. Lack of adequate planning and development of cities results in an inability to accommodate this influx and this strains urban infrastructure including water supply, sanitation, transport and especially, housing. The Low-Income Community Housing Support project pilots a community driven approach to improve the living conditions of the urban poor in selected municipalities. Through the project, around 24,000 urban poor who live in informal, low-income settlements or slums will be able to access technical assistance, infrastructure grants, and housing loans to improve their living conditions. The project uses a community-driven approach, building community organizations with a history of self-managed projects and a desire to improve their local neighbourhoods. 104 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE FUTURE Slums and informal low-income settlements in Bangladesh’s urban areas provide housing solutions for Creating affordable housing for Bangladesh’s the urban poor, but inadequate living conditions undermine continued economic growth and poverty burgeoning urban poor population is a challenging reduction efforts. The urban poor are more vulnerable than the rural poor to economic fluctuations, issue. The project tests out various models for higher costs of living, underlying insecurity of tenure, and rising land prices. Without secure tenure, the affordable housing for low-income communities. The urban poor remain largely in inferior dwellings for fear of evictions. There is a critical need for alternative success of the program will show that individual lower- models of affordable housing as well as for basic infrastructure and services in informal settlement that income households are a bankable market segment can allow communities to thrive and climb out of poverty, rather than staying in an urban poverty trap. thereby leading to greater financial inclusion. NHA provides scope to further test and scale up initiatives throughout the country, and holds a promise for the future of affordable housing in Bangladesh. If the pilot works well, the new housing loan can be made APPROACH available to low-and middle-income groups, who cannot easily access financial The project takes an incremental and community-driven approach to improve living conditions in institutions and banks. Bangladesh. It builds on organized community groups with a history of savings, and experience in planning and executing small-scale infrastructure schemes. The National Housing Authority (NHA) will help community organizations plan to change and upgrade their neighborhood. NHA will also provide technical expertise in the form of community architects, engineers and mobilizers to help identify improvements to the public services—including access to roads, drainage and sanitation, electrification, waste collection and disposal, and public spaces like parks, ponds or community centers—that the government can provide. Where possible, the NHA also tries to address land tenure issues to provide greater security to residents. This has been done in one community by giving the housing collective that was established there, titles to the public land that NHA has acquired. Working with the Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), an umbrella organization for micro- finance NGOs, the project advances housing finance for the urban poor. PKSF has introduced a new housing loan for low-income group borrowers for house repairs, improvements/ extensions, or construction of a new house. The housing loan product is financially sustainable and does not require government subsidy. EXPECTED RESULTS 24,000 urban poor living in informal and 40,000 beneficiaries will be able to access housing loans, both through community low-income settlements will benefit based and other approaches (e.g. personal, joint liability, group guarantee, etc.) THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 105 MULTIPURPOSE DISASTER SHELTER PROJECT SHELTER FROM THE STORM APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCY BASIC December 16 December 31 $375 million Local Government Engineering INFORMATION 2014 2021 Department (LGED) OVERVIEW Due to the low and flat topography, Bangladesh is highly vulnerable to natural disasters, especially in VOICES its coastal zones. From 1980 to 2000, nearly 60 percent of the deaths caused by cyclones worldwide The changing climate is making occurred in Bangladesh. Due to the effects of climate change, an increase in the frequency and lives more difficult for vulnerable communities severity of cyclones, sea level rise and other natural disasters is likely to happen, making it even more essential for Bangladesh to adapt to increased uncertainty. By providing such as mine. We need to work harder to adapt. improved access to safe havens in the event of a natural disaster, the Multipurpose The new shelters being built means there is still Disaster Shelter Project (MDSP) benefits nearly 14 million people in nine coastal hope for our villages and for our families. districts. HASINA BEGUM Headmistress of Paschim Napitkhali Primary School in Barguna 106 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE The longitudinal position of Bangladesh, its proximity to the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean, creates a tropical monsoon climate FUTURE prone to cyclones, floods and droughts. Nearly 40 million people live along the 710 km long coast, exposed to cyclones and other The shelter design includes natural disasters. Cyclones accompanied by powerful storm surges hit the coastal areas and often causes inundation over a vast area. a provision for one separate room with a toilet for pregnant Multipurpose disaster centres have been highly effective in saving lives in disaster-prone coastal districts. The Bangladesh Climate women and will further Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP) calls for the repair, maintenance and construction of additional cyclone shelters consider accessibility for throughout the coastal zones, as a priority intervention. people with disabilities. Steel The Government’s assessment suggests 7,124 multipurpose shelters will be needed by 2025 to improve disaster resilience across shelter construction is a major 14 coastal districts. Of these, around 4,760 will be needed on a priority basis by 2020. The need assessment has also identified nine intervention, based on which coastal districts as priority. To date, around 3,268 multipurpose disaster shelters have been constructed, leaving another 1,492 needed construction criteria for future by 2020. shelters may be determined. APPROACH The growing network of cyclone shelters and the community-based early warning system has enabled Bangladesh to save lives and assets during natural disasters. In nine coastal districts, the project is improving the local population’s access to safe havens during natural disasters. During regular weather, the shelters serve as primary schools, and during cyclones and other natural disasters, they double up as shelters. Thus, the project helps improve access to primary education. MDSP focuses on meeting the high priority needs of cyclone-prone areas with the shelters. The project also builds connecting roads and communication networks to shelters, ensuring easy accessibility. Bangladesh has gained significant experience in the construction of multipurpose disaster shelters, most notably through the Emergency 2007 Cyclone Recovery and Restoration Project. MDSP further improves the designs of these shelters. The project is one of the very first projects to introduce steel shelters for improved quality. EXPECTED RESULTS 552 new shelters to 450 existing 550 km of rural roads 14 million people be constructed in shelters to be to be constructed for in 9 coastal districts to 9 coastal districts rehabilitated better access to shelters benefit THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 107 TRANSPORT BANGLADESH REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY PROJECT 1 MODERNIZING TRADE LOGISTICS IMPROVING INTEGRATION AND COMPETITIVENESS APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION April 5 December 31 $150 million Bangladesh Land Port Authority, 2017 2023 Ministry of Shipping; WTO cell, Ministry of Commerce; and Department of Customs in National Board of Revenue, Ministry of Finance. OVERVIEW Bangladesh is well placed to play an important role in regional trade as a transit country in South Asia. Geographically, Bangladesh’s location makes the country a gateway to India, Nepal, Bhutan, and other East Asian countries. Some corridors and associated Border-crossing points connect West Bengal, India, and the Southwestern region of Bangladesh to landlocked Bhutan, Nepal and the North East Region (NER) of India. However, high logistical costs due to poor infrastructure and trade facilitation are constraining Bangladesh from playing a more active role in regional integration despite its strategic location. The Bangladesh Regional Connectivity Project 1 supports the Government of Bangladesh to modernize trade related infrastructure, border management, systems, and procedures. These improvements will help Bangladesh increase regional connectivity and trade with India, Bhutan, and Nepal. 110 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE FUTURE Bangladesh’s relative cost advantage from being a low labor cost producer is diminished by poor As global and regional markets become more performance in trade facilitation. For example, Bangladesh manufacturers’ ‘Order to Delivery competitive, the demand for shorter lead times are Cycle’ is 35 to 50 percent longer than many of their competitors. Trade-related infrastructure is mounting. Improving trade infrastructure and facilitation inadequate, and border crossing times at some land ports are measured in days, rather than hours. will be critical for Bangladesh to sustain and accelerate export growth, including with its regional neighbors. The land ports are unable to accommodate existing and potential trade volumes which causes While trade with India increased more than five-fold, delays for traded goods. A significant proportion of Bangladesh’s international trade procedures are from $ 1.8 billion in 2005 to over $9 billion in 2018, this still paper-based and continue to be managed manually, causing delays for border clearance and is less than half of its current potential. The Regional hampering private sector competitiveness. Connectivity Project will introduce modern approaches to border and customs management, including the evolution towards integrated land border facilities and an enabling environment for domestic and cross- APPROACH border collaboration between The project supports the development and improvement of four land ports along the Southwest to land port and customs Northeast Corridor that are key to facilitating regional and transit trade. They are: Bhomra, Sheola, administrations. Ramgarh, and Benapole. Recognising that comprehensive border management and customs improvement require a clear vision, strong political will and commitment, the project supports an inter-ministerial National Trade and Transport Facilitation Committee (NTTFC) to coordinate trade and transport-related policies and activities in Bangladesh. The project will develop a National Single Window system which will allow traders to submit all import, export and transit information via a single electronic gateway, instead of submitting the same paperwork to multiple government agencies. This will facilitate faster and more transparent international trade procedures and reduce transaction time and cost for the private sector. The project will also support policies and investments to remove bottlenecks faced by women in trade and business. To bring more women traders into formal trade networks and global value chains, the project will facilitate skills development programs for women. EXPECTED RESULTS More than double the Two-thirds reduction in truck 40% reduction in average time to meet regulatory freight volume at land ports clearance time at land ports requirements associated with import- export THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 111 BANGLADESH REGIONAL WATERWAY TRANSPORT PROJECT 1 BETTER INLAND WATERWAYS LEADING TO MORE DOMESTIC AND REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC June 16 December 31 $360 million Bangladesh Inland Waterways INFORMATION 2016 2025 Authority (BIWTA) OVERVIEW The inland water transportation sector can play an important role in improving domestic connectivity and regional integration. As a riverine country, Bangladesh has a large and vibrant Inland Water Transport (IWT) sector. It has 700 rivers, streams and canals with a total length of about 24,000 km. Approximately 6,000 km are navigable during the monsoon (wet) period, shrinking to about 3,900 km in the dry periods. It carries approximately 194 million tons of cargo and about one- quarter of all passenger traffic. The Bangladesh Regional Waterway Transport Project 1 (BRWTP1) aims to improve the navigability and year-round safe transport for passengers and cargo along the Chittagong-Dhaka-Ashuganj river routes. This will help , shifting traffic away from heavily congested roads along these routes. 112 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE FUTURE Despite its importance, the IWT has received little attention in the last few decades with limited resources To ensure sustainability of project investments allocated to its development. It receives only 4-7 percent of total transport sector funding. Current issues faced by and sector improvement, several key principles the IWT sector include: (a) lack of funding allocated to maintenance of waterways other than ferry crossing routes have been incorporated in the project design. and consequently inadequate dredging maintenance which fails to address rapid and continuous processes of First, a performance-based maintenance sedimentation; (b) outdated hydrographic capability and limited data acquisition for river maintenance and other approach is being piloted to innovate the planning purpose; (c) poor navigation aid system and very limited night time aids; (d) poor safety culture, including more usual practice for river maintenance outdated rules and regulations, concerning the design, licensing, construction, operation and maintenance of and is a departure from customary dredging IWT vessels, insufficient vessel shelters, and the lack of facilities for searching and rescuing people in distress; and, contracts applied in Bangladesh which have (e) insufficient and dilapidated river port facilities for general cargo trade and passenger transport. Many terminal not achieved desired results. Furthermore, facilities consist of no more than wooden planks for embarking and disembarking passengers and especially the project also focuses on policy, regulatory challenging for mothers with small children, pregnant women, elderly people and the disabled. and institutional development for the IWT sector to improve the competitiveness and attractiveness of IWT, and attract private sector APPROACH investment, maintain competitive transport costs, incentivize modal shift, and get to cost- The BRWTP1 will improve and maintain the navigability of inland waterways along the Chittagong-Dhaka-Ashuganj recovery and profitability for Corridor and connecting routes and support navigation safety improvements. This will help reduce travel time and BIWTA. cost for cargo and passenger transport and boost national and regional trade. The project will build one new general cargo terminal at Pangaon and modernize the existing cargo terminal at Ashuganj. It will also build new passenger terminals at Shashanghat (downstream of Sadarghat) and Madrashaghat (Chandpur); rehabilitate existing passenger terminal at Narayanganj; and extend existing terminal at Barisal. Further, it will help develop River Information Systems (RIS) and provide and, funding for research and development to enable continuing sector improvement and sustainability. This includes work on sector policies and strategies needed to: improve revenue collection and management; incentivize public and private sector investments especially related to container transport; and, mitigate and improve IWT’s impact on the social and physical environment. The project will help improve the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority’s capacity to comply with international standards; adopt modern management practices for inland water transport; and achieve long-term operational and financial sustainability. EXPECTED RESULTS Increase navigability Reduction of travel time on the Increase in annual revenue tariffs associated with of project river routes Dhaka-Chittagong Corridor for cargo vessels development, maintenance, increased customer satisfaction THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 113 OPERATION FOR SUPPORTING RURAL BRIDGES RURAL BRIDGES CONNECTING FOR A BETTER LIFE APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION December 01 December 31 $425 million Local Government Engineering 2018 2023 Department (LGED) OVERVIEW As Bangladesh’s flat terrain is crisscrossed by hundreds of rivers, bridges play a critical part in the country’s road system. For every 4.5 km of roads in unions or upazilas, a bridge is needed to connect two disjointed road sections. While Bangladesh enjoys an extensive rural road network, one-fifth of the rural bridges needed are yet to be built. The Operation for Supporting Rural Bridges (SuPRb) supports the government’s newly launched rural bridge program that aims to finance, develop, maintain and manage rural bridge assets sustainably. The project will improve road connections and climate resilience in Bangladesh through building, maintaining and improving rural bridges in 61 districts. 114 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE FUTURE There are approximately 15,000 existing rural bridges, many of them poorly maintained, on Rural inland connectivity is a public policy priority in Upazila and Union roads in Bangladesh. The replacement value of existing rural bridge assets Bangladesh. Bridges play an important role in enhancing of Bangladesh is substantial, around 3 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). and maintaining inland connectivity and may unlock the Furhter, lack of good governance, accountability and transparency are major hindrance. The opportunity to economic activities and access to essential implementing agency for this project has limited experience in bridge maintenance; inadequate services for people in rural areas. This will reduce poverty and facilities to handle bridge design, construction and maintenance issues; and lacks a rural bridge improve welfare, increase agriculture production and wages, inventory. Labor influx may create additional social challenges. reduce inputs and transport costs, and impact on education and health sectors due to improved connectivity. APPROACH To improve sustainability, the project design follows a “hybrid” approach combining two World Bank financing instruments: PforR and IPF financing instruments . There will be no separate project management unit for the project’s implementation, rather the implementing agency will use its existing institutional setup. The Program will maintain, widen or rehabilitate and build new bridges. It will also create jobs for local people, including long-term maintenance work. The program will support the government’s existing program for developing and maintaining rural bridges. It will also ensure updating of rural bridge information and management system and improving contract and fiduciary management systems. The program is expected to enhance transparency and accountability of the rural bridge sector. EXPECTED RESULTS Maintain 85,000 Widen or rehabilitate Construct 22,000 Rural bridge meters of bridges 29,000 meters of bridges meters of new bridges climate resiliency improved Gender and citizen engagement aspects institutionalized, ultimately impacting rural people THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 115 SECOND RURAL TRANSPORT IMPROVEMENT PROJECT BETTER CONNECTIONS FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION December 20 June 30 $401.81 million Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) 2012 2021 OVERVIEW Over 300,000 km rural road network in Bangladesh open up economic opportunities for rural people and improve access to markets, schools and health facilities. The country has made substantial investments in rural roads, but often overlooked the maintenance and rehabilitation needs. In addition, the construction quality of rural roads is not up to the mark and the carrying capacity of parts of the rural road networks is inadequate. This often leads to serious road safety implications. The Second Rural Transport Improvement Project helps address these issues by improving rural connectivity and strengthening institutional capacity for sustainable rural road maintenance. The project has been improving and maintaining a total of 5,248 km of Upazila and Union roads. Besides this, the project has introduced rehabilitation and periodic maintenance of 4,000 km of roads and integrating road safety and community road safety awareness. 116 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE FUTURE With a vast network of roads, the challenges can be broad as well. From capacity The World Bank’s engagement in the rural transport sector is making a building of the implementation agency to manage the roads, to poor quality of the significant impact on the rural poor in Bangladesh. Better roads lead to engineering and civil works, and the delays and cost overruns in overseeing proper better lives. There is an intrinsic link between transport and human capital execution, inadequate capacity to manage contracts and procurements, there are development. Improved mobility can unlock economic opportunities and several underlying factors behind poor quality roads. This can lead to unmitigated can expand access to essential services like healthcare and education. environmental and social impacts due to weak management capacity and increase This leads to poverty reduction and improved welfare, higher agriculture in the number of road accidents. Overall weak governance, including inefficient production, higher wages, lower inputs and transport costs, and higher allocation and use of resources and insufficient citizen oversight are some of the output prices due to improved connectivity, ensuring better opportunities for other challenges faced during project implementation. rural people, mobilizing the rural economy. APPROACH Built on the success of the predecessor project, RTIP II continues to improve the conditions of rural roads in 26 districts. The implementing agency, LGED has extensive experience implementing donor-funded projects including by the World Bank. LGED’s decentralized units, headed by Executive Engineers in districts, are responsible for implementation on the ground. An environmental and social impact management framework has been adopted, which informed the selection of the project components beyond the first year program. Specific environmental assessments, mitigation and resettlement action plans are being prepared and implemented accordingly. EXPECTED RESULTS 394 km of Upazila 4,383 km of 30 Growth 47 km of Performance-based 10 river jetties being and 388 km of Union Upazila and Union Center Markets, rural waterways maintenance contract constructed, 33 roads upgraded to paved roads rehabilitated 9 rural jetties dredging piloted introduced for 428 growth center markets standard and maintained constructed km of roads being developed THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 117 WESTERN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR AND REGIONAL ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM ON THE ROAD TO ACCELERATING GROWTH APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION July 11 December 31 IDA $500 million Roads and Highways Department (RHD), 2019 2026 Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) OVERVIEW Bangladesh has made great strides in developing an extensive road transport system. Yet, low construction quality and maintenance of the road network is common. The country’s two key transport agencies, namely, the Roads and Highways Department (RHD), Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, focuses on improving regional road connectivity and pursuing a policy of corridor-based road development to accommodate regional as well as international traffic; and the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development & Cooperatives focuses on improving rural access connectivity to the country’s main transport corridors, which will benefit about 66 percent of the country’s rural people. LGED also aims to build double-lane Upazila Roads and Union Roads that connect to the main transport arteries. 118 CHALLENGE APPROACH TOWARDS THE The primary road network is in poor condition and The first phase of the Western Economic Corridor and Regional FUTURE congested, operating at or near maximum capacity Enhancement (WeCare) program will improve road connectivity The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the and is unable to accommodate the rapidly increasing along the Jashore-Jhenaidah corridor covering four western poorest hard with the loss of jobs and demand. Between 2014 to 2017, the motorized rate districts. It will upgrade a 48 km national highway from Jashore income. Initial investment will help increased two and a half times. The rapidly growing to Jhenaidah to a safer and climate-resilient four-lane highway. It create jobs and support economic number of vehicles pose serious threat to road safety. To will also upgrade and rehabilitate targeted sections of the primary, recovery for hardest hit population. prevent the upward trend in fatalities and injuries, urgent secondary and tertiary road network in Western Bangladesh i.e. Labor-intensive civil works—including and scaled-up safety investments are needed. 260 km of existing highway and feeder roads; and improve around routine maintenance of roads, clearing 32 markets to boost local economy. The project will help enhance of water passages, and hygiene-related The road network needs considerable investments for women’s mobility and their role in the provision of transport small work—will generate around 1.3 upgrading and maintenance. Yet, due to inadequate infrastructure by addressing the societal, institutional, and million days of rural employment in the national maintenance budget for roads, the repair works individual barriers. first 24 months of the project. Where is often reactive and become more expensive in the long applicable, the project will provide run. The highway will also act as a strategic geographical gateway to working tools and personal protective Bhutan, Nepal, and India. The corridor will facilitate cross-border Rainfall and floods damage the roads and impair equipment (PPE). In the post COVID movement and trade in the Benapole and Bhomra land ports, accessibility. The damaged roads during the flood period, the project will create jobs for which are the two most-used border crossing points between season results in disproportionately high costs for the local communities through civil Bangladesh and India. rehabilitation. works for the national highway and Greater connectivity will tremendously benefit Bangladesh, connecting rural roads and markets. The transport sector faces institutional fragmentation, enabling it to trade in transport services, and earn port and road It will also support the country’s weak coordination, and capacity constraints. At the transport charges as well as transit fees and help the country two key transport agencies— national level, there are 5 ministries and 21 agencies become a regional logistics and transit hub in South Asia. Roads and Highway Division and responsible for the transport sector with overlapping To improve digital connectivity, the project will install fiber optic Local Government Engineering mandates, and conflicts between service provision cables along the highway to provide reliable and affordable Department—to enhance emergency and regulatory responsibilities. The capacity of various internet access, which will be critical for emergency responses and preparedness for any future pandemic agencies needs considerable enhancement. business continuities in crises similar to the COVID-19 pandemic. or crisis. EXPECTED RESULTS 10% improved efficiency 5% reduced post- 50% reduction in 10% of national and 20 million people of transport mobility of harvest losses especially annual fatalities on regional highways upgraded being benefitted passengers and goods on among small farm Jashore-Jhenaidah to climate resilient standards Jashore-Jhenaidah corridor families in rural areas corridor THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 119 WATER MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION PROJECT SAFE SANITATION AND CLEAN DRINKING WATER FOR ALL APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION July 11 December 31 IDA $100 million (and AIIB Department of Public Health 2019 2024 co-financing $100 million) Engineering OVERVIEW Bangladesh achieved its Millennium Development Goals targets of halving the population without access to improved drinking water sources three years ahead of time and showed impressive progress in sanitation too. 84 percent of households have access to safe water and 57 percent of households have access to safe sanitation. Bangladesh almost eliminated open defecation. The government is committed to continue with its efforts, to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) - safe and sustainable sanitation, hygiene and drinking water for all. 122 CHALLENGE COVID-19 INTEGRATION Achieving SDG 6 poses several challenges. Bangladesh is rapidly urbanizing, yet only 10 percent of the population—mostly • The project has built in an emergency living in the major cities—have access to piped water. One hundred and fifty-one (151) out of the 329 municipalities have basic assistance component, which helped piped water systems, but these systems cover only a limited population residing in town centres. They suffer from maintenance immediately mobilize funding to construct and quality problems, limited connections, high operational costs, poor service levels and low tariff recovery. Furthermore, 20 handwashing stations in 30 municipalities. percent of the urban population experience arsenic contamination and 55 percent E. coli contamination in their water supply. • Handwashing with soap is one of the most Sanitation in municipalities mainly comprise of household on-site pits and tanks that are cleaned infrequently. When cleaned, effective ways of slowing human-to-human the fecal matter is dumped in drains and open lands, posing a public health hazard. Solid waste, drainage and flooding are transmission of COVID-19 and preventing many common problems. Technical expertise for piped water supply and fecal sludge management are limited at all levels of other infectious diseases such as typhoid and government. Municipalities need support to build their capacity to carry out their roles effectively – from managing the design cholera. and construction of water and sanitation systems to strengthening their institutional and financial systems for operations and • Situated in strategic locations – such as maintenance. entrances of each municipality, markets, healthcare facilities and densely populated areas – the handwashing stations will be APPROACH equipped with running water and liquid soap. The project aims to increase access to water and sanitation services in 30 municipalities by strengthening their institutional • The project will also assist municipalities in capacity to deliver water and sanitation services. This will give 600,000 people access to improved water sources and building and operating public toilets as well as improved sanitation services. Given the very basic institutional capacity of the project municipalities, the project aims to community level toilets, many of which will be address capacity deficits by (a) infrastructure provision and operationally sustainable services delivery by the private sector managed by women’s self-help groups. for both water supply and sanitation, (b) institutional capacity strengthening of municipalities to enable them to play • In these facilities too, the project will promote increasingly central roles in planning and supervision of services delivery by the private sector, and (c) strengthening the safe behaviors including regular handwashing DPHE to focus more on policy and facilitation roles (away from direct infrastructure provision). The project’s goal is to devolve and hygiene, as well as ensure regular cleaning water and sanitation responsibilities to the local governments to ensure sustainability and cost-effectiveness. It directly and disinfection of facilities along with the use supports the SDP target of improved services (with piped water and fecal sludge management) in municipalities, alongside of personal protective equipment (PPE). strengthening the institutional capacities of municipalities to provide universal access to improved water and sanitation services in a financially sustainable manner. This involves introducing operating principles and developing the private sector. EXPECTED RESULTS 600,000 people 150,000 people 30 municipalities with operational water supply systems and (at least half of whom (at least half of whom improved operational performance with greater ownership and are female) with are female) with sustainability of water, sanitation, and drainage infrastructure and access to improved access to improved services delivery involving operational service contracts with private water sources sanitation services sector THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 123 CHITTAGONG WATER SUPPLY IMPROVEMENT AND SANITATION PROJECT IMPROVING WATER AND SANITATION SERVICES IN CHITTAGONG APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION June 23 December 31 $202.99 million Chittagong Water Supply and Sewerage Authority 2010 2020 OVERVIEW Chittagong is the second largest city of Bangladesh with a rapidly swelling population- currently estimated at 2.9 million and expected to reach 3.7 million by 2030. The Chittagong Water Supply Improvement and Sanitation Project (CWSISP) aims to improve water supply, sanitation and drainage services in Chittagong city. The project will also help strengthen institutional capacity of Chittagong Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (CWASA). Currently, CWASA has about 75,000 active connections that provide direct treated piped water to households. 124 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE The water supply situation has improved in Chittagong. Currently the city’s water production capacity is 90 percent of the FUTURE estimated demand but the pipe network needs to be updated. A small percentage of the city still uses tube wells. The underground A two-phase restructuring was water quality in the city is questionable, with high salt and iron levels, which poses health risks to the public. carried out to this project and the revised objective aims to increase However, very little investment has been made into sanitation and storm water drainage since the late 1980s. The Chittagong city access to safe water supply and lacks sanitation infrastructures: it is not connected to any form of sewerage system or effective storm water drainage service. Hence, improve CWASA’s institutional most of the population typically utilizes septic tanks and pour-flush sanitation systems. Septic tank effluent disposal is generally capacity and investment planning sporadic and septic sludge not collected on a regular basis. It does not have sludge treatment facilities. Hence, both domestic and for sanitation and drainage in industrial waste are discharged to open water bodies creating environmental concerns. To initiate sewerage system and with a Chittagong city. Since then, target of gradually bringing the entire city population under modern sewerage system, CWASA has developed a comprehensive several large works contracts have sanitation improvement strategy with the World Bank’s support and a master plan to bring the city under planned sanitation system. been initiated and a subsequent To implement the proposed sewerage investments Program (2017-2065), an estimated cost of $1032.01 million will be required. restructuring extended the project period to allow to complete a water treatment plant, the Sanitation and Drainage Improvement APPROACH Strategy and Master Plan, network To provide access to safe water to around 650,000 residents in the city, the project is helping construct a water treatment plant in transmission and distribution the Modunaghat area. It is also helps rehabilitate and extend the storage and distribution facilities, especially in the under-served rehabilitation works, and key areas. Furthermore, the project supports the updating of Chittagong’s sanitation and drainage master plans, which will help CWASA institutional strengthening identify priority investments in the city’s drainage and sewerage networks, and for initiatives aiming to improve the city’s urban initiatives. Implementation of the environment. The project also supports CWASA’s pilot expansion of water supply and sanitation services in selected Chittagong recommendations of the utility slums, bringing better services to the urban poor. Finally, CWSISP aims to support CWASA by improving the sustainability and modernization plan is expected to accountability of operations, and improving coordination for water, sanitation and drainage services between key stakeholder bring further improvements in utility agencies in Chittagong. capacity and management. EXPECTED RESULTS 650,000 people 89% of CWASA operational CWASA achieves $500 million worth of priority provided with access to costs are covered from direct utility maturity sanitation and drainage investments improved water sources water sales revenue level 3 identified, prepared and ready for financing THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 125 DHAKA SANITATION IMPROVEMENT PROJECT ENSURING BETTER SANITATION IN DHAKA APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC March 20 June 30 IDA Credit: Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority INFORMATION 2020 2025 $170 million OVERVIEW Cities in Bangladesh, especially the capital Dhaka, are characterized by rapid population growth which leads to deficit in infrastructures and service deliveries resulting in poor living conditions. Dhaka has over 3.5 million people living in low-income communities where access to water supply, sanitation, and health care is limited. There is no systematic excreta disposal and treatment system. Untreated domestic sewage and industrial waste are illegally discharged into rivers and canals polluting the water. This adversely affects the environment, living spaces and public health of Dhaka’s residents. Studies have highlighted the considerable economic, environmental, and public health costs of pollution and inadequate sanitation. Climate change further exacerbates the challenge with sanitation due to inland flooding. 126 CHALLENGE Dhaka’s existing sewerage system serves only about one-fifth of the city’s population. The city has only one wastewater treatment plant which operates at less than half its capacity due to deficiencies in the collection network. The city does not have a well-developed fecal sludge management system. The disposal of fecal sludge and septage from septic tanks is sporadic. About 30 percent of Dhaka’s population disposes off their sewage through drainage networks and open channels which enter the city’s water bodies untreated. Only about 3-4% of the wastewater generated in the city is treated. Bangladesh is estimated to be losing about $3.56 billion due to health-related economic impacts of inadequate sanitation. Health-related productivity impacts of inadequate sanitation are close to $456 million. Studies have found that young children below five-years and poor households bear the highest burden of poor sanitation. Human resources in Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA) also needs to be strengthened. At present, there is no water and sewer regulator in Bangladesh. APPROACH The Dhaka Sanitation Improvement Project will help improve the city’s livability by establishing safely managed sanitation services in Dhaka, particularly in its southern part, benefiting around 1.5 million people. The project will establish sewage and septage treatment facilities which will help reduce inland flooding and water pollution. It will also provide 50,000 new households with sewer connections. Furthermore, to improve the quality of living in slums and low-income housing areas, the project will upgrade toilets and install communal septic tanks and Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems (DEWATS). The project will support DWASA to improve efficiency in sanitation service delivery particularly in customer orientation and implementation of sewer connection strategy. It will help DWASA improve its billing system, as well as its management information system (MIS), Geographic Information System (GIS) for sanitation and IT-enabled customer complaints management. The project will also help to provide trainings to DWASA officials and also rationalize the tariff framework to improve performance efficiency. EXPECTED RESULTS 1,500,000 people with access to safely 50,000 households with access to 100,000 people benefitting from managed sanitation services sewer connections Alternative (Non-network) Sanitation Improved efficiency of DWASA with 150 million liters of sewage treated at Reduced pollution of Operating Ratio maintained at 0.7 or below Pagla Sewage Treatment Plant water bodies THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 127 SUPPORT TO DEAL WITH ROHINGYA INFLUX EMERGENCY MULTI-SECTOR ROHINGYA CRISIS RESPONSE PROJECT IMPROVING SERVICES AND BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ROHINGYAS APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION December 30 March 5 $210 million Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief 2013 2022 (MoDMR); Local Government Engineering Department (LGED); Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) OVERVIEW Since August 25, 2017, violence in Rakhine State, Myanmar, has driven more than 745,000 people from the Rohingya community cross the border into the Cox’s Bazar district in Bangladesh in what became the largest refugee influx in modern times. The Rohingya are living in extremely congested conditions in makeshift settlements. The influx has put pressure on existing infrastructure and strained the social service delivery systems. The settlement areas lack basic infrastructure and services and are prone to natural disasters, specially cyclones, floods, and landslides. In response to the evolving nature of the crisis, the World Bank has taken a comprehensive, phased and multi-sectoral approach to address needs of the Displaced Rohingya Population (DRP) and the host communities. 130 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE The vast majority of Rohingya live in 34 extremely congested camps which has added an unprecedented pressure on the areas’ FUTURE natural resources and led to rapid deforestation and slope instability, further increasing vulnerability of the DRP to monsoon The project was approved at the rains, flooding, landslides and disasters. The relocation of households at-risk is underway, nevertheless, there is a lack of World Bank board on March 07, sufficient and suitable land to accommodate them. Lack of disaster resilient infrastructural facilities and poor road connectivity 2019 and implementation has puts a serious threat to the DRP. Besides, thousands of poorly positioned and low-quality water and sanitation interventions started. constructed during the initial phase of the influx pose challenges. Salinity is a further risk to water quality; as are the threats of water-borne diseases which are exacerbated by low awareness among the DRP of good WASH practices. More than half of the Rohingya population are women and girls and before coming to Bangladesh they were exposed to gender- based violence and now are at risk. At least 80 percent of the DRP are dependent on life-saving external assistance which makes them socially vulnerable. Given the scale and complex nature of the crisis, the capacity building of the implementing agencies regarding emergency response is also critical. APPROACH The project aims to strengthen government systems to improve access to basic services and build disaster and social resilience of the DRP. As part of improving access to basic services, the project will ensure increased supply of safe drinking water, improved sanitation facilities and hygiene promotion as well as climate resilient infrastructure for the DRP at-risk. The project will also ensure increased access to multipurpose disaster shelters, resilient roads and evacuation routes resulting in reduced climate vulnerability and multi-hazard risks. Also, the project will strengthen community resilience through increased access and participation in gender sensitive community services, youth-focused workfare activities that will mitigate the risk of engagement in negative coping behavior, tree plantation and gender-based violence prevention and response. For implementation of its components, the project will connect multi-sectoral agencies and strengthen their institutional systems by building their capacity to coordinate and communicate activities. EXPECTED RESULTS 30 climate resilient multipurpose disaster shelters inside the camps and 170,000 people with access 56,700 people with access 23 outside the camps to be constructed to provide shelter to 55,500 people to improved water sources to improved sanitation 100,000 households 205 km climate resilient 10 climate 375 lightning 1500 solar street participating in community access and evacuation roads and resilient and bridges protection systems lights installed workfare and services 25 km internal roads improved constructed installed THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 131 ADDITIONAL FINANCING TO REACHING OUT-OF-SCHOOL CHILDREN II PROJECT LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR DISPLACED ROHINGYA CHILDREN APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION September 18 December 31 $25 million Ministry of Primary and Mass Education 2018 2020 OVERVIEW Since August 2017, more than 745,000 Rohingya fled violence in Myanmar and took shelter in the Teknaf and Ukhia Upazila of Cox’s Bazar district, according to UN estimates. More than half of them are women and are children. They join around 300,000 people displaced from Myanmar in previous years. This has placed an immense strain on an already resource-constrained service delivery system. The Government of Bangladesh continues to deliver humanitarian aid directly and through UN agencies and local/ international Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Cox’s Bazar is one of the poorest and among the lowest performing districts in the country in terms of education indicators. Recent influx has further exacerbated the education uptake. The World Bank is helping Bangladesh provide informal education and psycho-social support to Rohingya children through an Additional Financing to the Reaching Out-of- School Children (ROSC) II project on grant terms. The grant will support the response to the immediate education needs of the Rohingya children and adolescents while helping to strengthen the service delivery system of GoB in Cox’s Bazar. Implementation of this of the additional financing is planned for a period of two years till December 2020. 132 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE FUTURE Most of the displaced Rohingya population (DRP) are living in congested camps; the mega camps are currently the Additional Financing of ROSC II will provide world’s largest refugee settlements. Around 55 percent of the them are under 18 years of age with very little or, for three informal education to 150,000 primary-aged quarters of the population, with no literacy skills. BRAC estimates that as many as 73 percent of the displaced Rohingya DRP children and psycho-social support to population have no literacy skills. The education centric response strategy described in the Joint Response Plan (JRP), 300,000 children and adolescents through an prepared jointly by GoB and Development Partners estimates around 625,000 children and youth are in need of access additional financing in grants terms in next two to learning opportunities. years (2019-2020) along with completing its original targets. The youth of host community in Cox’s Bazar district will receive pre- APPROACH vocational skills training through the original ROSC II project. The second of a series of supports to help Bangladesh deal with the crisis, the additional financing on grant terms to the Reaching Out of School Children Project II (ROSC II) will help Rohingya children and adolescents avail basic education in Learning Centers. Informal education to the DRP children and adolescents will be delivered following the guidelines of the GoB’s guideline regarding DRP response. This intervention will be aligned with the JRP and follow the MoPME approved guideline for DRP informal education. During 2019-2020, 150,000 primary-aged DRP children will be supported with immediate access to learning opportunities in a safe and protected environment. Informal education activities will be provided in new and makeshift Learning Centers (LCs) in the camps. The DRP children will learn basic English, Myanmar language and basic numeracy skills through informal LCs while life skills and psycho-social activities will be a part of informal education which will teach children to care for themselves, their family, community and the environment and support then have a sense of normalcy. These LCs will have a safe structure for children following environmental safeguards standards. LCs will be strategically placed to benefit majority of Rohingya children. Around 300,000 DRP children and adolescents will receive psycho-social support to recover from the shock and to protected from exploitation. The activities will include cultural events, sports, homestead gardening, home-making, tree plantation, arts and crafts etc. EXPECTED RESULTS 150,000 primary-aged DRP children will be 300,000 DRP children and 2,000 teachers and facilitators will enrolled in 1,500 informal LCs in DRP camps in Cox’s adolescents will receive psycho-social be deployed and at least 50% of them Bazar district support will be female 100 Government Primary Schools Capacity enhancement of offices and officials Overall strengthening of the service delivery (GPS) will be repaired to facilitate of 8 upazila offices and 1 district office of system will be supported through capacity informal education teachers’ training primary education will be supported building of the local and central administration THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 133 ADDITIONAL FINANCING TO HEALTH SECTOR SUPPORT PROJECT ADDRESSING ESSENTIAL HEALTH NEEDS OF ROHINGYA POPULATION APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION February 21 February 20 $41.67 million grant through the WHO, UNFPA, UNICEF and 2019 2022 IDA18 Regional Sub-Window for Refugees IOM will jointly support and Host Communities and $8.33 million the Ministry of Health and from the Government of Canada Family Welfare OVERVIEW Since August 2017, more than 745,000 Rohingya fled violence in Myanmar and took shelter in the Teknaf and Ukhia Upazila of Cox’s Bazar district, according to UN estimates. This has been the largest refugee influx in modern times. More than half of them are women and are children. They live in extremely congested conditions in 34 camps; the mega camps are currently the world’s largest refugee settlements. They have outnumbered the local population by almost three times. The speed and scale of the influx resulted in a critical humanitarian emergency. Bangladesh has ably coordinated humanitarian support and provided for basic needs and humanitarian partners, both international and national, have responded rapidly to the needs of the displaced population. Due to the poor immunization status of the Rohingya, an outbreak of diphtheria occurred shortly after arrival, and sporadic outbreaks of measles subsequently. A quick response by health agencies contained the outbreaks with low fatalities and raised immunization coverage among Rohngya children. The World Bank is helping Bangladesh respond to the health, nutrition, and family planning needs of the displaced Rohingya population as well as strengthen the healthcare services in the Cox’s Bazar. 134 CHALLENGE Health, nutrition and population (HNP) services are being provided through 190 health facilities in the camp areas with varying service provisions. Field hospitals in camps make referrals to the Ukhia and Teknaf Upazilla Health Complexes (UZHC) or District Hospital in Cox’s Bazar. Despite these efforts, significant challenges remain: • Risks of communicable diseases are very high in congested camps and so risks from physical, sexual and gender-based violence are substantial. • Low exposure and lack of trust to health services in Myanmar led to less demand for services like immunization, contraceptives, antenatal care, safe delivery etc. • Coordination among the four implementing UN agencies with the two government departments and across the levels of the government – ministry, directorates, district, upazillas and camps. • Working with other agencies for ensuring other necessary requirements which determine health outcomes like water, sanitation, hygiene, waste management, environment, female empowerment etc. TOWARDS • Managing host population expectations. THE FUTURE The World Bank is exploring Cox’s Bazar APPROACH district-wide health The first of a series of assistance from the World Bank to help Bangladesh deal with the crisis, the grant to the ongoing Health Sector system improvement Support Project will help provide essential health and nutrition services to the Rohingya people. initiative to benefit both the refugees and host The support follows the following principles: (1) Help strengthen the government’s capacity to respond to HNP service needs of the communities. Rohingya, (2) not replacing the existing humanitarian assistance for the refugees, (3) HNP services to Rohingya population will focus on essential services package and mental health including gender-based violence and (4) medium-term planning. The government signed agreements with four UN agencies – WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA and IOM for the implementation. The services will be delivered within the camps through community health volunteers, Health and Family Welfare Posts for outpatient services, Primary Health and Family Welfare Centers for basic emergency obstetrics care and outpatient services, and Women Friendly Spaces for counseling for sexual and gender-based violence. It will also improve the capacity of the existing government facilities adjacent to the camps, including community clinics, Health and Family Welfare Centers, Union Sub-centers and Upazilla Health Complexes. The ongoing project will continue to serve the local population. EXPECTED RESULTS 86,571 19,005 19 facilities 22 facilities 187,500 Rohingya women and Build government Rohingya births providing an providing adolescent girls received information capacity for resilience and children (ages delivered appropriate mix emergency on sexual and reproductive health mitigate risks for localized 0-11 months) in an HNP of family planning obstetric care rights and gender-based violence in outbreaks in Cox’s Bazar immunized facility methods to the each year for 3 years Rohingya THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 135 HEALTH AND GENDER SUPPORT PROJECT FOR COX’S BAZAR DISTRICT IMPROVING HEALTH SERVICES & PROVIDING SAFE HARBOURS FOR WOMEN IN COX’S BAZAR APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION March 31 June 30 $150 million Ministry of Health and Family Welfare 2020 2023 OVERVIEW Bangladesh has shown great leadership and generosity by providing shelter to around 1.1 million Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar district. This has placed immense strain on existing infrastructure and social service delivery, increasing health and disaster risks for all. Further, in Cox’s Bazar, only about half of the medical professionals’ positions are filled in government health facilities. The limited human resources are almost entirely focused on the Rohingya influx, leading to inadequate attention for routine services. The host population has experienced an increased exposure to infectious diseases like diphtheria especially after a diphtheria outbreak in the camps. Furthermore, the prevalence of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is high within both the Rohingya and the host community. A survey (2015) on violence against women found that 48 percent of married women in Chattogram experienced violence. GBV response services as part the health system are limited. Some of the gaps include clinical management of rape, psychosocial support/mental health, and age appropriate GBV response services for adolescents. 136 CHALLENGE The Rohingya people traditionally had poor access to and knowledge about health, nutritional, and population (HNP) services. Low immunization rates (less than 4 percent) prior to their arrival in Bangladesh makes children more vulnerable to infectious diseases. Contagious diseases as well as water-borne diseases such as cholera, dengue and malaria pose a risk of spreading to the host population. Furthermore, Rohingya women and girls tend to be more vulnerable to GBV. Approximately 52 percent of the Rohingyas here are women and girls, and most have been subjected to GBV prior to fleeing to Bangladesh. While more women are now stepping out of the confines of their homes, stringent social norms, fear of sexual assault, and rising domestic violence remain as risks. APPROACH The project will help improve the health, nutrition and family planning services as well as address GBV through preventive and response services in Cox’s Bazar district. It will renovate and upgrade health facilities, including District Sadar Hospital and the Mother and Child Welfare Center in the localities, and the Women Friendly Spaces inside the Rohingya camps. The project will also fill in vacant positions for health professionals and ensure adequate medical supplies. EXPECTED RESULTS 3.6 million people in Cox’s Bazar 6 government 99,000 children 15,500 women (including 1.1 million Rohingya) will have facilities to provide (0-11 months) who have and girls utilizing GBV better access to HNP services and GBV 24/7 maternal received three doses of response services preventive and response services health services pentavalent vaccines THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 137