core sector communique

 

Improving Water and Sanitation Services in Chittagong

 

 

Chittagong is the second largest city of Bangladesh with nearly 4 million population. The city continues to expand to accommodate an increasing population and a proliferation of slums. The dilapidated infrastructure and facilities for water and sewerage services along with increased demand is making it difficult to provide reliable water and sanitation services. To improve the sustainability, reliability and affordability of the water, sewerage and stormwater drainage services in Chittagong, the World Bank would fund a proposed Chittagong Water Supply Improvement and Sanitation Project (CWSISP).

Current water production is inadequate to cover the remaining population, including those living in the urban slums. Ground water is increasingly susceptible to high iron content, bacterial content, chloride and salinity. Unplanned hill cutting is resulting in soil erosion during the monsoon season, contributing to blockage of drains. Water-logging has become a major constraint for the development of the city.

The Chittagong Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (CWASA) is responsible for providing water and sanitation services in Chittagong. The proposed CWSIS project will support CWASA to improve its services through construction of selected water production, transmission, storage and distribution facilities. CWSIS also aims to expand piped water supply services to slum areas.

The project will support the Government’s future sector investments and institutional development program. Through this initiative CWASA will have the necessary support to address long-standing investment gaps in water supply and sanitation infrastructure in Chittagong, and modernize the institution’s operational facilities to strengthen its capacity.

The Chittagong Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (CWASA) recently formed a team to spearhead the preparation of the project. There has been significant progress in defining the project components and drawing up the details of proposed project activities and cost estimates. CWASA and the World Bank also agreed on a timeframe for the various actions required to complete the project preparation. CWASA and the Government, along with the World Bank, are now taking the necessary steps towards completing the project preparation.

The project will be implemented in coordination with other development partners. It is in line with the Partnership Framework entered into between the Government of Bangladesh and five Development Partners - the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, the Danish International Development Assistance, the Government of Japan, and the Government of Republic of Korea. The Partnership Framework provides a coordinated approach to the existing and planned development partner support to the water, sewerage and stormwater drainage systems in Dhaka and Chittagong, while harmonizing with the Government on common policy issues and actions.