The regional sector strategy for ECA is based on the Bank-wide Corporate Sector Strategy, which covers four broad areas: making cities livable by serving and empowering the urban poor; transforming the rural areas by expanding access; safeguarding the environment by encouraging responsible use of water resources; building sustainable utilities by improving the climate for investment and achieving financial viability.
Strategy for Meeting the Millennium Development Goals
The Bank's response specifically for the MDGs will focus on: (i) adopting policies that provide incentives to make investments and improve operational efficiency to provide sustainable services to the poor; (ii) creating and disseminating knowledge for setting priorities and using resources to maximum advantage; and (iii) securing financing to rebuild infrastructure and expand service coverage and quality. Where feasible, focus will be put on obtaining greater productivity from present investment levels, coupled with policies that promote financial sustainability.
The focus countries for the first phase of the MDG strategy for Europe and Central Asia include: Albania, Moldova, Kosovo, Armenia, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Georgia, Kazakhstan and Bosnia may also be added. Criteria for selection of these countries were based on: (i) existing need; (ii) poverty criteria; (iii) current lending program/ongoing operations; and (iv) upcoming operations that would provide opportunities for dialogue and investment. A second phase of interventions will be developed later, and will include small and medium sized cities and rural areas of Turkey, Ukraine, Russia and Romania where Bank financed sector work is already ongoing or envisaged over the next few years.
Current operations in the region aim to:
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Rehabilitate and enhance the maintenance of existing plants and networks in order to prevent the collapse of systems;
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Put the sector on a viable financial footing and improve the cost-effective utilization of scarce resources;
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Improve financial and operational performance and sustainability of utilities by building institutional capacities at local, regional, and national levels;
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Promote public-private partnerships to improve delivery of services;
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Strengthen sector institutions and governance relationships;
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Protect the environment and water resources through greater attention to wastewater treatment and solid waste management.
The new regional sector priorities include:
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Multi-sectoral rural development/infrastructure operations;
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Urban water supply and sanitation operations with private sector participation;
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Output-based aid;
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Utility reform hybrid operations with energy;
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Multi-utility municipal development projects;
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Environment/water pollution-related operations.
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