Contacts In Washington: Takao Ikegami (+1-202) 473-2334, tikegami@worldbank.org WASHINGTON, May 29, 2007 – The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved a US$4,562,000 GEF grant for the Moldova Environmental Infrastructure Project. The project, which will be implemented by the World Bank, will assist the Government of Moldova in treating Soroca’s municipal wastewater. The project will improve the quality of the Nistru River that separates Moldova and Ukraine and will pioneer innovative and low-cost constructed wetlands to reduce the nutrient loads on the Nistru and the Black Sea. The project, located within the GEF International Waters Focal Area, is the latest in a series of 10 GEF/World Bank operations in the Danube/Black Sea Basin program that focuses on nutrient reduction to benefit the downstream Black Sea. The objectives of the project are to (i) improve the quality of sanitation services in Soroca; (ii) reduce the discharge of pollutants, including nutrients, from Soroca municipal sources that flow into the Nistru river and, subsequently, into the Black Sea; and (iii) demonstrate and disseminate through feasibility studies and workshops, cost-effective and affordable technologies for municipal wastewater treatment for the potential benefit of similar projects for Moldova’s existing wastewater treatment plants, for towns in Moldova that have no wastewater treatment, and for the countries that drain into the Black Sea. “We are delighted to provide funding for treating Soroca Municipal Wastewater, an innovative project which will pioneer in using low cost constructed wetlands to reduce nutrient loads from municipal wastewater,” said Monique Barbut, CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility. “The project will also serve as a model for towns in Moldova and for the neighboring countries that are looking for cost-effective and affordable technologies for municipal wastewater treatment plants.” The Soroca municipality was selected because the Government has assigned a high priority to treating Soroca’s wastewater that is presently discharged untreated into the Nistru river, which separates much of Moldova and Ukraine, and the Government wishes to honor its international commitment with Ukraine. Soroca has also improved its water supply system under the ongoing IDA financed Pilot Water Supply and Sanitation Project under which participating Apa Canals are committed to collect tariffs to cover its operations and maintenance costs. The project consists of the following components: Component 1-A:Wastewater management in Soroca to finance (i) the rehabilitation of the wastewater collection system and pressure pipelines, and the construction of the wastewater treatment facility using constructed wetlands technology; and (ii) six months of operations of the facility in order to train the Apa Canal staff to operate and maintain the facility. Component 1-B: Engineering Consultant and Technical Assistance (TA) to support (i) engineering services for Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) and sewer network design, procurement, supervision support, and six months of operational assistance for the WWTP; and (ii) feasibility studies for 10 towns and pre-feasibility studies for an additional 5 towns, including the replication of the constructed wetland system in the studies. Component 2:Dissemination and Replication of the experience from the new Soroca WWTP. This is considered particularly important due to the pioneering character of the GEF project, which could be replicated in other WWTPs in Moldova and in Ukraine. Annual workshops would likely mainly have Moldovan and Ukrainian participation, and possibly wider international participation in coordination with the Istanbul Commission. Component 3:Institutional Strengthening to finance (i) the development of a communication strategy and capacity building for media campaign, and community and civil-society outreach to prepare for the necessary increase of a sewage treatment surcharge; and (ii) utility staff training for operational efficiency improvements. Component 4: ProjectManagement to support management and implementation of the projectby the Agency of Construction and Territorial Development About the GEF 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 World Bank Group co-financing for GEF projects in 80 countries. In addition to its own and Bank resources, GEF has mobilized additional co-financing of $5.48 billion from other donors. For further information on World Bank’s GEF program, visit http://www.worldbank.org/gef For further information on GEF, visit http://www.thegef.org |
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