Contact:
In Washington:
Merrell Tuck-Primdahl (202) 473-9516
Email: Mtuckprimdahl@worldbank.org WASHINGTON, February 26, 2004– The World Bank today approved a Agriculture Pollution Control Project for the Republic of Moldova. The project is funded by a grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Trust Fund of US$ 4.95 million, with expected contributions from private commercial banks and project beneficiaries of about US$ 24.0 million equivalent. The project will increase the use of environmentally friendly agricultural practices by farmers and agro-industry in Moldova. In support of global environmental goals, the project seeks to reduce the discharge of nutrients into surface and groundwater in watersheds draining into the Danube River and Black Sea. The Project enables: § the promotion of mitigation measures for reducing nutrient loads in water bodies § the strengthening of national policy, regulatory enforcement and national capacity in agricultural pollution control § a nationwide public information campaign to be undertaken to disseminate the benefits of the project and achieve replicability. The project would provide a mix of investments and policy related activities to mainstream environmental concerns in Moldova's agricultural sector. It will be implemented in close association with the US$25 million IDA-funded Rural Investment and Services Project (RISP), an Adaptable Program Lending (APL), which has been "designed to foster post-privatization growth in the agricultural sector by improving the access of new private farmers and rural businesses to what they need to succeed - legal ownership status, knowledge, know-how, and finance". The first tranche of the APL, in the amount of US$10.5 million was approved in mid-2002. The Agriculture Pollution Control Project will assist farmer and agro-industry beneficiaries of RISP to put in place the mitigating measures necessary to reduce nutrient discharge from the agricultural sector. It would also assist the Government of Moldova in harmonizing its legislative framework with relevant European Union (EU) directives and honoring its international commitments to reduce nutrient loads to the Danube River and Black Sea. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a mechanism for providing new and additional grant and concessional funding to meet the agreed incremental costs of measures to achieve agreed global environmental benefits in the four focal areas - Climate change; Biological diversity; International waters; and Ozone layer depletion. GEF also supports the work of the global agreements to combat desertification and eliminate persistent organic pollutants. The World Bank Group is one of GEF’s implementing agencies and supports countries in preparing GEF co-financed projects and supervises their implementation. It plays the primary role in ensuring the development and management of investment projects. The Bank draws upon its investment experience in eligible countries to promote investment opportunities and to mobilize private sector, bilateral, multilateral, and other government and non-government sector resources that are consistent with GEF objectives and national sustainable development strategies. Since 1991, the World Bank Group has committed $1.52 billion in GEF resources and $2.25 billion in Bank group co-financing for GEF projects in 80 countries. In addition to GEF and Bank resources, it has mobilized additional co-financing of $5.48 billion from other donors. For further information on Bank’s GEF program, visit http://www.worldbank.org/gef . For further information on GEF, visit http://www.gefweb.org. |
For more information about the World Bank activities in environment, please visit our web site at http://www.worldbank.org/environment |
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