Bangladesh er Asiens Holland forstået på den måde, at millioner af bangalere lever i konstant fare for store oversvømmelser med katastrofale følger – nu poster Verdensbanken mange penge i landets forsvar mod havet.
WASHINGTON, June 27, 2013 (World Bank): The World Bank has approved 400 million US dollar (2,2 mia. DKR) – 375 million in concessional financing (bløde lån) and 25 million in a grant (gave) – to Bangladesh to increase the resilience (modstandsdygtighed) of the coastal population to climate change induced (afledte) flooding and other natural disasters.
The Coastal Embankment Improvement Project will upgrade the country’s embankment (dæmnings) system by increasing the area protected in polders (kunstige øer omgivet af diger) from tidal flooding and frequent storm surges in six coastal districts.
With the approval of this project, the World Bank’s total concessionary lending to Bangladesh reaches to 1,6 billion dollar in Fiscal Year (finansåret) 2013.
The project will rehabilitate 17 polders in six coastal districts – Bagerhat, Khulna, Satkhira, Barguna, Patuakhali, and Pirojpur.
The rehabilitated polders would provide direct protection to the 760.000 people living within the polder boundaries.
Hvad er en polder? Se mere på http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polder
Around 8,5 million people living in these six coastal districts would also benefit through agriculture development, employment and food security.
“Climate Change is no longer only an environmental issue; it is a development issue,” said Johannes Zutt, World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh and Nepal.
“Adaptation (tilpasning) to increased risks from climate-induced weather events is essential for development in Bangladesh. The project takes account of climate change induced sea level rise and increase in the intensity and frequency of tidal surges (tidevandsbølger) and floods while designing and climate-proofing the polders,” added he.
Mange fattige på de udsatte kunstige øer
The coastal zone spans over 580 km of coastline in Bangladesh where 28 percent of the country’s population resides. A higher percentage of population lives below absolute poverty line in the coastal area compared to the rest of the country.
The project will help reduce poverty and stimulate economic development by facilitating the growth of farm and non-farm activities in the coastal area. The project would support increase in agricultural productivity as the reconstructed polders would prevent saline water intrusion.
A recent World Bank study on the cost of adapting to extreme weather estimated that currently 8 million people are vulnerable to inundation (oversvømmelses) depths greater than 3 meters due to cyclonic storm surges.
This number will increase to 13,5 million by 2050 and by an additional 9 million due to climate change.
Rehabilitating and upgrading the height of the polders will enhance the resilience of coastal areas to cyclones, tidal and flood inundations, and salinity intrusion (saltholdige indbrud).
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http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2013/06/28/world-bank-provides-400-million-to-upgrade-bangladeshs-embankment-system
Begynd fra: “This in turn will enhance the people’s….”
