The government signed a USD 16.5 million Urban Development and Resilience Project with the World Bank to support urban development efforts and increase disaster preparedness across the country.
The agreement was virtually signed last week by Minister of Finance Ibrahim Ameer and World Bank Country Director for Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka Dr Idah Pswarayi-Riddihough.
The total project cost of USD 16.5 million includes a USD 8.25 million grant and USD 8.25 million credit from the International Development Association.
Intended to assist state efforts to further develop and modernize urban infrastructure as well as ensure greater climate resilience, the project will include renewal of the obsolete storm water drainage system in the capital city of Malé. The majority of the system is more than forty years old and has not been functional for ten years.
The project will also fund the establishment of a sewage treatment plant on the reclaimed suburb of Hulhumalé in order to reduce the release of untreated wastewater into the sea, protecting fisheries and local tourism industry.
The World Bank particularly emphasized the importance of the sewage treatment plant, noting that proper hygiene was a critical measure in controlling the spread of COVID-19.
"Social distancing is particularly challenging in congested cities, and the government’s efforts to develop regional hubs and a housing policy that reduces congestion are key to building the country’s resilience to natural disasters and disease outbreaks," said Dr Pswarayi-Riddihough.
The Urban Development and Resilience Project will also increase Maldives' capacity to manage the impact of climate change risks by strengthening emergency preparedness, including the establishment of modern early warning systems.
World Bank’s task team leaders for the project, Kwabena Amankwah-Ayeh and Suranga Kahandawa stated that "with the incidence of fires on the rise, improving drainage and helping store rainwater will not only increase the availability of fresh water on these islands, it will also make more water available for fire-fighting in the crowded urban environments".
The Urban Development and Resilience Project will be implemented by the Ministry of National Planning and Infrastructure with support from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the city councils of Male and Addu, Housing Development Corporation (HDC) and Male Water Sewerage Company (MWSC).
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