Bangladesh solar street lights get ADB support

The ADB Board of Directors approved a US$120 million loan for the Bangladesh City Region Development Project. It will target energy-efficient, environmentally friendly urban services, more coordinated regional development planning, and stronger management capacity for municipalities in the sprawling city regions of Dhaka and Khulna, which include surrounding secondary towns.

"The goal is to increase the growth potential and environmental sustainability of these two city regions," said Masayuki Tachiiri, Urban Economist in ADB’s South Asia Department.

Along with physical improvements to water, drainage, urban transport and other facilities the project will incorporate a pilot program that will install energy-efficient water pumps and solar-powered street lights. This will deliver substantial cost savings for municipal authorities as well as reducing carbon dioxide emissions - an increasingly important issue for Bangladesh, which is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change.