The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a $370 million financing package to improve sanitation and solid waste management services in Dhaka and surrounding areas, aiming to reduce water pollution and restore rivers and canals. The Metro Dhaka Water Security and Resilience Program seeks to strengthen the capacity of local and national institutions, including city corporations and the Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA), to deliver measurable improvements in water quality and sanitation services. The program will provide safely managed sanitation for 550,000 people and improved solid waste management services for 500,000 people, with a focus on communities most affected by pollution and service gaps.
Dhaka faces severe wastewater challenges, with only 20 percent of residents connected to piped sewer systems and another 2 percent using functional fecal sludge management. More than 80 percent of untreated wastewater is discharged into the city’s waterways, and over half of its canals have disappeared or are clogged. Industrial pollution is also significant, as more than 7,000 garment factories release an estimated 2,400 million liters of untreated wastewater daily, contributing to skin, diarrheal, and neurological diseases. The program adopts a holistic approach, engaging both public and private sectors to improve service delivery, strengthen regulatory frameworks, and restore river and canal systems.
The initiative will prioritize reducing industrial effluent discharge and promoting water reuse to optimize efficiency and reduce pollution. It will implement a results-based system, real-time digital water quality monitoring, and integrated river restoration plans for four major Dhaka rivers. The program also includes community-led awareness campaigns and stricter enforcement against illegal sewage and solid waste dumping. The first phase will focus on Dhaka and Narayanganj, improving primary waste collection and recycling systems, particularly in underserved areas near rivers and canals.
This initiative forms part of the World Bank’s long-term engagement in Bangladesh’s water security and resilience agenda. Since Bangladesh’s independence, the World Bank has committed over $46 billion in grants and concessional credits, with more than $12 billion ongoing in 43 projects, demonstrating continued support for sustainable development and public health improvements in the country.
