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Expression Of Interest Are Invited For Technical Assistance Investment Prioritization For Water Security And Resilience In Metro Dhaka Re DhakaS Transformation Into A Liveable And Resilient City Is Critical For BangladeshS Long-Term Development Objective To Become A Higher-Middle Income Country In One Generation, A Development Goal Set By The Government And An Aspiration Shared By The People. Dhaka, With ~22 Million Population, Accounts For One-Third Of The Urban Population In Bangladesh Currently Generates 35 Percent Of The CountryS Gdp And Is Also The CountryS Best-Performing City For Access To Skilled Labour, An Important Driver For Attracting Industries And Accounts For Almost Half Of CountryS Formal Employment. However, DhakaS Rapid And Unmanaged Urbanisation Has Resulted In Significant Negative Environmental Externalities Including Poor Ecological And Water Quality Of The Rivers, Reduced Management Of River Flows And Drainage Of The Khals Which Has Resulted In Increased Flooding, And A Lack Of Integration Of Water Management Into Urban And Land Planning. The Mismanagement Of Its Rivers Has Exacerbated This Predicament, Aggravating Threats To The Citys Natural Resources, Climate Resilience, And Overall Quality Of Life. Consequently, Dhaka Ranks At The Bottom Of Global Liveability Rankings. Rapid Urban Expansion And Industrial Activities In Dhaka Have Led To Severe Pollution In The Rivers And Canals Surrounding Dhaka. Dhaka Is Surrounded By Five Important Rivers (Buriganga, Shitalakhya, Balu, Turag, And Dhaleshwari) And 200 Canals That Support The Social And Economic Life In The City Including Drinking Water, Water Transportation, Energy, Jobs, Ecosystem Services And Recreation. Four Of These Rivers Have Been Declared As Ecologically Critical Areas By The Government While High Court Has Recently Provided A High Protection Status To Rivers As Living Entity. However, These Rivers Are Now Characterised By Pollution From The Dumping Of Solid Waste And The Discharge Of Untreated Industrial Effluent And Household Sewage. With Increasing Urbanisation And Economic Development In Dhaka, Especially The Textile Industry, Significant Amounts Of Toxic Materials Are Increasingly Reaching The Rivers, Making The Water Unsuitable For Human Use, Leading To Severe Ecological Consequences, And Posing Significant Threats To Citizen Health And Overall City Liveability. DhakaS Climate Resilience Is Intricately Linked To Its Water Resources. The CityS Topographical Characteristics, Combined With Expanding Encroachments In The Floodplains And Riverbanks, Make It Highly Vulnerable To Flooding. The Natural Drainage System Is Hindered By Unregulated Urban Expansion That Restricts Urban-Water Services Leading To Increased Vulnerability To Flooding And Water Logging. Flood Risks Are Further Intensified Due To Reduced Water Retention/Storage Capacity Because Of Encroachments In Natural Floodplains. ~60%[2] Of Dhaka Could Experience Inundation In 2050 For A Monsoon Season Like That Of 2004. Ensuring Flood Resilience In Dhaka Amidst A Rapidly Changing Climate And Precipitation Pattern Requires An Integrated Approach With Pollution, Water Resources And Land Management. The Government Of Bangladesh (Gob) Has Prioritised DhakaS Water Security And Climate Resilience As A Key Driver For The Broader Transformation Of Dhaka. The Government Has Prioritised Tackling River Pollution With The Approval Of Dhaka Rivers Master Plan (Drmp) In 2019 Followed By Its Baseline Study Of Water Quality In Dhaka Rivers Conducted By The Dhaka Wasa In 2016 Revealed That Dissolved Oxygen And Biological Oxygen Demand Was Well Below Acceptable Standards At Most Of The Monitoring Stations. (Islam, Al Kibriya, And Dustegir (2014)). Due To The Untreated Effluent Discharge By Hazaribagh Tannery Industry, The Dissolved Oxygen10 Levels Deteriorated Alarmingly Since 2000 In Buriganga. Additionally, There Is A Critical Need For Institutional Development And Capacity Building To Ensure Sustainable And Efficient Service Delivery. There Are Substantial Institutional And Financial Gaps. Institutions Exhibit Weak Capacity For Planning, Project Preparation, And Implementation, Coupled With Limited Financial Sustainability Due To Low Tariff-Based Revenues And Poor Cost Recovery. Responsibilities Are Fragmented And Coordination Among Agencies Is Lacking. The World Bank Is Currently Preparing A New Metro Dhaka Water Security And Resilience Program (As A Program For Results) To Support Activities To (I) Strengthen The Water Sector Governance, Planning And Financing Systems, (Ii) Reduce Pollution Loads In Rivers/Canals And Improve Access To Safely Managed Water Supply And Sanitation Services, And (Iii) Improve Flood Resilience By Rehabilitating Canals And Expanding Storm Water Drainage. By Leveraging Coordinated Investments And Strengthening Institutional Capacities, The Program Seeks To Ensure Long-Term Economic Prosperity And Resilience For Dhaka And Its Surrounding Municipalities. As Part Of The Program, The Priority Investments, Institutional Capacity Improvement And Policy Reforms Will Be Targeted That Lay Down The Strong Foundation For A Multi-Year Investment Program. Tender Link : Https://Wbgeprocure-Rfxnow.Worldbank.Org/Rfxnow/Public/Advertisement/4673/View.Html
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