Bangladesh Clean Air Project

active

Prospective

As part of a series of projects, the proposed Bangladesh Clean Air Project (BCAP) will support priority interventions of the National Air Quality Management Plan (NAQMP), which sets multi-sector actions necessary for Bangladesh to achieve WHO’s Interim Target 1 for annual PM2.5 (and the country’s own air quality standards) and contribute to the South Asia Clean Air Vision 2030. The NAQMP recognizes the need of an airshed approach and the benefits of collaborating with other countries of the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP). If fully implemented, this plan could reduce 50 percent of annual premature deaths associated with air pollution in Bangladesh by 2030.The Project is part of the World Bank’s Regional Air Quality Program for the Indo-Gangetic Plains and Himalayan Foothill (IGP-HF) region. As such, BCAP is framed in two components (or results areas): air quality management (AQM) governance, including cross-jurisdiction coordination for improved AQM; and sector abatement actions.In Phase 1, BCAP will focus on: (i) strengthening capacity beyond MoEFCC and DoE for effective AQM, including through collaboration within IGP-HF region, and (ii) incentivizing emissions reductions from the transport sector. Component 1 will support the GoB (i) strengthening its analytical, monitoring and enforcement capacity for AQM, and (ii) adopting more efficient AQM policies, such as fiscal instruments and awareness campaigns. Enhanced monitoring and enforcement, combined with citizens’ increased access to information, will incentivize emitters to comply with regulations. This is expected to increase demand for technical assistance, finance mechanisms and other activities, to be potentially financed in BCAP Phase 2. Additionally, as transboundary cooperation is necessary to meet air pollution targets in a cost-effective manner, Component 1 will also promote Bangladesh’s participation in the Regional AQM Program for the IGP-HF countries. In Component 2, BRTA and DTCA will implement targeted measures to mitigate air pollution from vehicular emissions, while improving urban mobility in critical areas of Dhaka. The activities include (a) the expansion and improvement of vehicle inspection services; (b) introduction of franchise-based bus services and e-bus infrastructure to streamline public transportation, reducing traffic congestion and number of older, high-emitting vehicles on the road, and (c) establishing Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) to facilitate efficient ticketing, contract management, and information dissemination, encouraging the use of public transport.

World Bank Group

Project

Mass Transit, Road, Automotive, Government