Sahel Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases

On June 11, the Board of Directors of the World Bank approved the Sahel Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases, involving a total of $121 million. These funds are split between Burkina Faso ($37 million), Mali ($37 million), Niger ($37 million), and ECOWAS ($10 million).

The goal of the project is to increase access to and use of harmonized community-level services for the prevention and treatment of malaria and selected neglected tropical diseases in targeted cross-borders areas in participating countries in the Sahel region.

These goals are to be achieved through the following three components:

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Lao PDR Health Governance and Nutrition Development Project

Lao PDR has made steady and significant progress on key population health outcomes over the past few decades. Life expectancy has increased to almost 68 years in 2012, up from 49 years in 1980. The mortality rate for children under the age of five has also declined significantly over the same period: from 201 per 1,000 live births in 1980 to 71 in 2013. Notable progress has been made in improving maternal health, with maternal mortality decreasing from 1,600 per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 220 in 2013. The total fertility rate has also declined steadily from an estimated 6.0 births per woman in 1990 to 3.2 in 2013.
The gains in nutrition have been smaller. In Lao PDR, 44 per cent of children under five years of age (around 417,000) are stunted (low height for age), 27 per cent are underweight and 6 per cent are wasted (low weight for height).
Given this background, on Tuesday June 23, the World Bank Board of Directors is considering the Lao PDR Health Governance and Nutrition Development Project. The project involves a total World Bank grant and credit of $26.4 million.

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Vietnam Sustainable Agriculture Transformation Project

The World Bank Board of Directors will discuss the Sustainable Agriculture Transformation Project in Vietnam on Tuesday, June 30. Upon approval, this project will receive a total of $238 million from the World Bank for a grand total of $314 million.

The Project Development Outcome is to improve farming practices and value chains in the targeted project areas, and promote institutional strengthening of relevant public agencies in effective support to implementation of the Agricultural Restructuring Plan. The project consists of three different components:

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eConsultant2: Rwanda maize supply chain development (local consultant)

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World bank Group intends to implement an advisory services project in Rwanda to support Bralirwa (subsidiary of Heineken) reduce its dependence on imported raw materials by increasing the supply of maize procured from local smallholder farmers.

IFC (in cooperation with European Cooperative for Rural Development (EUCORD) who are engaged by Heineken and the NL Government at a global level under the CREATE PPP) plans to provide the following advisory services: (1) Improving the professionalism of farmer organisations; and (2) Improving the productivity of over 5,000 smallholder farmers in Eastern Rwanda. As part of the project at least ten on-farm pilots and demonstrations of low-cost water management and irrigation technology will be established.

See full tender here: # 1188809 Rwanda maize supply chain development, agricultural water and irrigation specialist

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eConsultant2: Jordan Energy Sector Assessment

The objective of this Technical Assistance is centered on developing a strategy to transform the National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) into a real transmission company and an electricity market operator at international standards, and hence increasing the sector efficiency by strengthening management and regulatory capacities of NEPCO, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MoEMR), and the Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission (EMRC).

See full tender here: #1189496 Jordan Energy Sector Assessment

Funding source: ESMAP (Dutch-contributed Trust Fund)

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China Poverty Alleviation and Agriculture-based Industry Pilot and Demonstration in Poor Areas Project

The World Bank Board of Directors will discuss the Poverty Alleviation and Agriculture-based Industry Pilot and Demonstration in Poor Areas Project on June 23rd on an Absence of Objection Basis. This project has a total value of $295 million, of which $150 million is provided by the World Bank.

The proposed Project Development Objective (PDO) is to develop and demonstrate rural value chains that promote equitable organizational arrangements, participation, and the suitable increase of income of target households in the project provinces of Gansu, Sichuan and Guizhou. This objective is to be achieved through the following 4 components:

  • Integrated Value Chain Development ($195.7 million)
  • Public Infrastructure and Services ($66.9 million)
  • Research, Training and Extension ($0.7 million)
  • Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation ($10 million) Continue reading

Sri Lanka Water Supply and Sanitation Improvement Project

The Sri Lanka Water Supply and Sanitation Improvement Project is on the agenda of the World Bank Board of Directors on Wednesday, June 24. As it is an Absence of Objection piece, it is expected to sail through the board.

The proposed project involves a total of $184 million of which $165 million will be provided by the World Bank. The Project Development Outcome is to increase access to piped water services and improved sanitation, and to strengthen rural service delivery arrangements, in selected Districts. This objective is to be achieved through the following 4 components:

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Pakistan Sindh Barrages Improvement Project

The World Bank Board of Directors will discuss the Sindh Barrages Improvement Project in Pakistan on Friday, June 19. Upon approval, this project will receive a total of $188 million from the World Bank for a grand total of $208 million.

The Project Development Outcome is to improve the reliability and safety of the Guddu barrage and strengthen the Sindh Irrigation Department’s capacity to operate and manage the barrage. The project consists of three different components:

  • Rehabilitation of the Guddu Barrage
  • Improved Barrage Operation
  • Project Management, Monitoring, and Evaluation

Senegal – Urban Water and Sanitation Project

The World Bank Board of Directors has approved the Senegal Urban Water and Sanitation Project, worth a total of $70 million and benefiting 590,000 people.

The proposed Project Development Objective (PDO)Senegal-Woman-at-Well-800 is to improve access to water and sanitation services in selected urban areas in a financially sustainable manner. This goal is to be achieved through the following three components:

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Leading role for the Netherlands in World Bank food investments

Original article published on Dutch Government website.

The Netherlands is to take a leading role at the World Bank in tackling severe hunger. Because of the prominent position of Dutch businesses and knowledge institutes in the area of efficient and sustainable food production, the Netherlands has been asked to advise the Bank on food projects in developing countries. Development cooperation minister Lilianne Ploumen will be signing an agreement this Thursday with the World Bank at a summit conference in Rotterdam.

rwandan farmers‘Everyone should have access to a sufficient supply of healthy and safe food,’ Ms Ploumen said. ‘The Dutch agriculture and horticulture sector has the know-how to boost crop yields and cut costs, while lightening the burden on the environment. Together with the World Bank, we can deploy our solutions worldwide.’ Much of the partnership will focus on knowledge-sharing by the business community, knowledge institutions, civil society organisations and government. Dutch experts will also be enlisted in an array of projects and the Netherlands will provide training courses and workshops on topics like safe food chains and sustainable farming.

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