The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Bangladesh on Thursday signed a letter of agreement for
$1,000,000 in grant technical assistance (TA) to promote sustainable use of surface water for Dhaka city.

The Government of Japan is financing the TA through the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction. ADB will administer the fund, and provide technical support for project implementation. Mitsutake Numahata, Counsellor, Embassy of Japan in Dhaka was present on the occasion.

"Securing adequate amount and good quality surface water is vital for Dhaka's development, as the groundwater table is falling rapidly," says Country Director Kazuhiko Higuchi.

The TA will help strengthen the monitoring and reporting system in the relevant section of Meghna River where the water intake sites are proposed.

The TA will be implemented from November 2015 to October 2017. The Department of Environment will be the executing agency, and DWASA will be the partner agency.

ADB has been supporting the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA) in providing more reliable and improved water supply services in Dhaka through two projects: Dhaka Water Supply Sector Development Program (loan of $200 million) and Dhaka Environmentally Sustainable Water Supply Project (loan of $250 million).

UNB/RI