Air quality
In Bangladesh, the Bank is help improve air quality and safe mobility in Dhaka by strengthening air quality monitoring and modernizing brick manufacturing and urban transportation. Carbon emission reduction credits generated with the Bank’s support help improve working conditions, protect people’s health and provide better wages for workers.
In MaliThe Obsolete Pesticides Elimination and Prevention Project eliminated 532 tonnes of obsolete pesticides and toxic waste between 2014 and 2018. In Côte d’Ivoire, 329 tonnes of obsolete pesticides and associated waste (OPAW) were collected, transported , stored and destroyed successfully. with the support of the Bank through the Obsolete Pesticides Management Project, including financing the development of laws on the transport, storage and disposal of pesticides to ensure the sustainable management of pesticides in the country.
With the support of billion-dollar loans from the World Bank for Innovative financing for air pollution control And Hebei Air Pollution Prevention and ControlPM concentration2.5 was reduced by almost 40% in China’s Hebei province between 2013 and 2017, and the use of clean heating reduced annual carbon dioxide emissions by six million tonnes, equivalent to the removal of 1.2 million gasoline vehicles on the road per year.
In Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the Bank supports the establishment of a stronger regulatory framework to reduce the use of banned pesticides and establish strict standards for ambient air quality. A separate Bank-supported project helped the Lao PDR government monitor air quality in pollution hotspots and publicly disclose monitoring results.
Thanks to a investment loan in Peru, the Bank supported an environmental information systems development project this included the expansion of the country’s air quality monitoring network to six new cities (Trujillo, Chiclayo, Iquitos, Huancayo, Cusco and Piura). The project also funded the construction of a government laboratory to test samples from its stations and provide calibration and quality control for third-party laboratories.
Water pollution
The Bank is helping Argentina as part of an ambitious integrated plan for the cleaning and sustainable development of the Matanza-Riacuelo river basin. The project involves building a large wastewater collector on the left bank of the Riachuelo River, which will transport wastewater to different treatment plants, thus avoiding its direct discharge into the river. The project also includes the construction of an 11.5 kilometer outfall that will lead to the Río de la Plata. Additionally, the Comprehensive Sanitation Plan will expand and/or construct several treatment plants throughout the basin and construct cascade aeration plants. These large-scale engineering works are crucial to the health of the 7 million people living in the region, at least 10 percent of whom live below the national poverty line.
In Brazil, the Bank is helping the state of Sao Paolo address the challenges of water scarcity by providing incentives to increase use efficiency and treat wastewater, thereby reducing pollution and improving the quality of water. the water.
In Romania, as part of the program supported by the World Bank Integrated Nutrient Pollution Control Project rural communities across the country are equipped with the essential tools needed to improve livestock manure management and prevent nitrates and other dangerous minerals from contaminating Romania’s soil and water supplies.
More results:
Matanza-Riacuelo River Basin Sustainable Development Project
National Ganga River Basin Project in India
Lake Qaraoun Pollution Prevention Project in Lebanon
Togo: Urban infrastructure project
Vietnam: Sustainable Environmental Project for Coastal Cities
Other examples of projects on marine pollution can be found here.
Management of land-based pollution and remediation of hazardous waste sites
Recent analytical work carried out by the Bank includes identifying the types of industries contributing to land-based pollution in low- and middle-income countries and highlighting knowledge and data gaps that have prevented a better understanding of this issue. For example, the Bank conducted Risk assessment and management approaches and tools to identify, prioritize and mitigate land-based pollution in LMICs and develop a frame to collect samples and assess health impacts. The Bank’s analytical work on land-based pollution has also supported the creation and improvement of the global database on toxic sites. The database will improve understanding of chemical pollution drivers and help managers make informed decisions.
THE Industrial Waste Management and Cleaning Project in Montenegrot contributes to remediating industrial waste disposal sites and ensuring that hazardous waste from industries is disposed of in accordance with Montenegrin and European Union legislation. The project supports the strengthening of the regulatory framework and the development of infrastructure to provide environmentally acceptable solutions for waste management.
THE China: Integrated Farmland Pollution Management Project in Hunan demonstrates a risk-based approach to managing heavy metal pollution on agricultural lands. The project also strengthens agricultural environmental monitoring and management and includes training activities tailored to the needs of government officials, environmental monitoring personnel and farmers.
In Pakistan The Bank is financing a green growth project in Punjab which includes the implementation of waste management interventions. The project supported reforms to modernize the legal and regulatory framework and promote investments in cleaner technologies at the provincial level to reduce air and water pollution from sectors such as brick manufacturing and leather tanning.
In Bangladesh, the Bank helps microenterprises increase the adoption of environmentally friendly practices. Even though production and revenues have declined with COVID-19, some businesses have managed to adapt to the crisis. For example, some mini-micro garment enterprises have shifted production to produce masks and other personal protective equipment to meet new demand due to COVID-19.
Indonesia And Senegal improve solid waste management services and will include funding for waste collection, transfer, treatment, disposal and recycling/composting infrastructure. Additionally, interventions will help strengthen sector governance and institutional capacity, including providing support to ensure the sustainability of solid waste management operations.
The Bank supports Zambia reduce environmental health risks, including from lead exposure, and strengthen institutional capacity to manage and regulate chemicals. The project focuses on local people living in extremely polluted mining areas, particularly in Kabwe Municipality.
More results:
Contaminated Sites Management Project in China
Indonesia Improving Solid Waste Management to Support Regional and Metropolitan Cities Project
Project to reduce environmental pollution in Lebanon
Senegal municipal solid waste management project
Circular Economy
A portfolio of 35 projects supported reforms in industries, value chains, the tourism sector, entrepreneurship, small and medium enterprises, public-private partnerships and public services. More recently, efforts have promoted access to finance to drive resource efficiency, cleaner production and green growth to improve competitiveness and employment.
Fossil fuels and agricultural subsidies are major obstacles to the circular economy. By artificially lowering the cost of fossil fuels, subsidies encourage unnecessary consumption and lead to increased pollution and waste. Subsidies also reduce the cost of petroleum-based products, such as plastic, putting substitutes from renewable sources at a disadvantage. The banks Framework for evaluating energy subsidy reform is a comprehensive analytical toolkit and assessment framework to help countries achieve politically and socially sustainable reforms. It includes specific guidance on how to estimate the local and global environmental benefits that could be achieved by phasing out fossil fuel subsidies.
Several analytical studies on the theme of the circular economy have been developed. In China, the Bank has identified opportunities for circularity in the solid waste sectoras well as recommended further steps the government should take to improve the effectiveness of its circular economy efforts. Similarly, a study assessed the need for greening Pakistan’s industrial sector minimize negative impacts on the environment and society and made recommendations to promote a sustainable industrial development path.
Last updated: September 19, 2023