Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept.30
By Maksim Tsurkov - Trend:
The Asian Development Bank plans to allocate $225 million on the development of water supply and urban infrastructure in Azerbaijan over 3 years, stated the bank's new strategy of cooperation with Azerbaijan for 2014 - 2018, approved by the ADB Board Sept.30.
"These loans are provided for 2015-2017. ADB intends to use an integrated approach to the modernization and expansion of urban infrastructure and services (water supply and sewerage, urban transport and waste management) to improve the coverage and quality of services and strengthen the protection of the environment.
ADB support will cover the regions of the country, including sparsely populated areas in the central and northern regions, as well as the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic," said the strategy, published on the bank's website Sept.30.
ADB is currently in talks with the Azerbaijani government to identify priority geographic areas for the implementation of the first phase of the investment program of the ADB in the area of waste disposal. The collection and treatment level of wastewater in the country will rise to 80 percent by 2018 (compared to 5 percent in 2009), according to the bank forecasts. The volume of waste management and recycling in accordance with international standards will increase to 1,500 metric tons per day in 2020 (compared to 500 metric tons per day in 2013).
The Bank expects that the level of water consumption per capita will increase by 100 percent by 2018. For comparison: the per capita consumption amounted to 60 liters of water in 2009.
ADB also plans to finance the urban transport development project in Baku, which will improve traffic conditions in the city and assess the possibility of public and private partnership in this area.
As part of the strategy, the bank plans to allocate $752 million for infrastructure projects in the areas of transport, energy, water supply and other urban utilities and services, while some 29.9 percent will be allocated to finance the water supply and urban infrastructure projects.
ADB was established in 1966 and has 67 members. The bank's headquarters is located in the capital of the Philippines, Manila. Azerbaijan joined ADB on December 22, 1999.
The country's share in the bank's capital is 0.5 percent. ADB's leading shareholders are Japan and the United States (31.2 percent of the total share capital), India and China (12.8 percent), Australia, South Korea and Canada (16 percent).
ADB has provided Azerbaijan a total of about $1.64 billion for the implementation of 20 projects for the entire period of cooperation, according to the data for the end of 2013.