Bangladesh : Coastal Towns Infrastructure Improvement Project

Project Name

Coastal Towns Infrastructure Improvement Project

Project Number

44212-012

Country / Economy

• Bangladesh

Project Status

Closed

Project Type / Modality of Assistance

• Technical Assistance

Source of Funding / Amount

TA 8128-BAN: Coastal Towns Infrastructure Improvement Project

Source	Amount
Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific	US$ 900,000.00

TA 8128-BAN: Coastal Towns Infrastructure Improvement Project (Supplementary)

Source	Amount
Water Innovation Trust Fund	US$ 500,000.00

Strategic Agendas

• Environmentally sustainable growth
• Inclusive economic growth

Drivers of Change

• Gender Equity and Mainstreaming
• Governance and capacity development

Sector / Subsector

• Water and other urban infrastructure and services / Urban water supply

Gender

Effective gender mainstreaming

Description

The project will take a participatory approach to address the social, environmental, and institutional constraints to inclusive development in coastal towns, and will serve to pilot new approaches in climate adaption. It will continue the good practices of performance-based development from the first and second Urban Governance and Infrastructure Improvement (Sector) Projects (UGIIP), and reflect lessons learned from TA 7197 Strengthening Resilience of the Water Sector in Khulna to Climate Change, TA 7848 Climate Change Capacity Building and Knowledge Management, and recommendations from the ongoing CDTA 7890 Strengthening the Resilience of the Urban Water Supply, Drainage, and Sanitation to Climate Change in Coastal Towns related to the location of water-intake works and the appropriate design of drainage systems, and urban wastewater discharge. , The project will closely coordinate with the World Bank and other donors working in the urban sector.

ADB's Country Operations Business Plan (20122014) lists the Coastal Towns Infrastructure Improvement Project for implementation in 2013. The project is consistent with ADB's Bangladesh Country Partnership Strategy (2011-2015) which targets assistance to vulnerable coastal areas in adapting to the risks of climate change, as well as ADB's urban and water operational plans. , A sector loan modality is considered to accommodate subprojects across multiple towns in a phased manner.

Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy

The project takes an integrated approach to urban environmental improvement in vulnerable coastal towns of Bangladesh, which suffer deficits in basic urban services and are severely at risk to the impacts of climate change. It will provide climate resilient municipal infrastructure with key investments in water supply, sanitation, drainage, urban roads and bridges, solid waste management, slum improvements, and transport facilities. The project will strengthen local governance and capacity for sustainable service delivery and urban planning, as well as improve natural disaster preparedness. The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), with extensive experience in managing Asian Development Bank (ADB) urban projects, will be the Executing Agency for the Project.

Climate change and variability are critical development issues for Bangladesh, particularly in its low lying coastal areas naturally exposed to sea level rise, storm surges, and more frequent and intense storm events. The government, in its Sixth Five-Year Plan, FY2011FY2015, targets assistance to vulnerable coastal populations requiring investments in climate resilient water supply, sanitation, and drainage infrastructure. The project is also prioritized in the government's 2010 Strategic Program for Climate Resilience (SPCR), making it eligible for financing from the Strategic Climate Fund (SCF) as a pilot project for mainstreaming climate resilience into coastal town development.

The coastal areas of Bangladesh consist of 19 districts with a total urban population of 8.5 million, including pourashavas (secondary towns) and city corporations such as Khulna, Chittagong, and Barisal. Urban infrastructure in these areas are generally inadequate as they no longer function effectively or are damaged by natural disasters. Weak local governance and institutional capacity coupled with high poverty incidence (52%) and remote locations create persistent development challenges to coastal towns.

Climate change and natural disasters further aggravate development in coastal towns, with disproportionate impacts to women and the poor. The increased incidence of saline intrusion into water supplies from sea level rise poses serious risks to public health, requiring the potential for new, but costlier, source development far from consumers. Poor access to sanitation in coastal towns is also posing serious environmental health risks, with 44% of the country's urban population lacking access to improved sanitation facilities (Bangladesh is currently behind in achieving its MDG Target 10 indicators for urban sanitation). Drainage systems are underdeveloped and poorly maintained, and would be made further obsolete under more frequent and intense storm events. Given this scenario, future investments in urban infrastructure need to be climate-resilient to manage the long-term costs of investments, and to ensure that such investments deliver their intended benefits.

Impact

tbd

Project Outcome

Description of Outcome

tbd

Progress Toward Outcome

Implementation Progress

Description of Project Outputs

tbd

Status of Implementation Progress (Outputs, Activities, and Issues)

Geographical Location

Summary of Environmental and Social Aspects

Environmental Aspects

Involuntary Resettlement

Indigenous Peoples

Stakeholder Communication, Participation, and Consultation

During Project Design

During Project Implementation

Business Opportunities

Consulting Services

The TA will require about 82 person-months of consulting services (26 international and 56 national). Consulting services for this assignment will be engaged by an international consulting firm in association with national consulting firm(s) for a total of 67 person-months of consulting services (20 international and 47 national). ADB will recruit an additional five consultants on an individual basis for a total of 15 person months (6 international and 9 national). These includes one groundwater specialist (2PM) and two international specialists in the safeguards disciplines (1 Environmental Specialist for 2 PM, and 1 Resettlement Specialist for 2 PM), who will lead the safeguard assessments and document preparation in close coordination with their national counterparts hired under the firm. Three national consultants will be hired individually, including a Project Management Expert (3PM), Development Project Proforma (DPP) Expert (3PM), and a Procurement Expert (3PM), to guide and assist in smooth and timely PPTA implementation in close coordination with key government stakeholders.

Contact

Responsible ADB Officer

Slangen, Ron H.

Responsible ADB Department

South Asia Department

Responsible ADB Division

Urban Development and Water Division, SARD

Executing Agencies

Local Government Engineering Department

Timetable

Concept Clearance

-

Fact Finding

20 Mar 2012 to 22 Mar 2012

MRM

-

Approval

06 Aug 2012

Last Review Mission

-

Last PDS Update

16 Apr 2012

Funding

TA 8128-BAN