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Cleaning up Dushanbe
EBRD contributes $4 million to improve solid waste management
The EBRD will improve the quality of the environment in Dushanbe with a loan of up to $4 million to a solid waste collection and disposal project in the Tajik capital. In addition to the EBRD loan the project will be co-financed by a $4.0 million capital grant from The Netherlands.
The project will create a solid waste management programme and finance high priority investments to improve waste transportation, rehabilitate the existing landfill which has been in use since 1977 and create new sanitary landfill cells. The project will help Dushanbe, with a population of 650,000, to improve its solid waste management system.
The proceeds will finance the rehabilitation of the existing landfill, the improvement of roads, the acquisition of collection trucks and cleaning vehicles, a weighbridge and a leachate treatment system.
Technical co-operation will be provided by Sweden and the EBRD’s Early Transition Countries Multi Donor Fund and the EBRD Special Shareholder’s Fund totalling $3.0 million. Support will be provided to the local government to consolidate waste management services into one municipal corporation, prepare a business plan and develop a plan to attract private sector participation in the waste management operations.
Jean-Patrick Marquet, EBRD Director for Municipal & Environmental Infrastructure, said the Bank’s involvement has been critical to foster implementation of a project which will be important and beneficial for Dushanbe and its population. The EBRD can offer lending in Tajikistan with a maturity that is not yet available on the market and the Bank’s participation facilitated the approval of the grant by The Netherlands.
To-date, the EBRD has invested more than 100 million US Dollars in more than 35 projects in Tajikistan. The country is part of the ETC initiative which aims to stimulate market activity in the participating countries by using a streamlined approach to financing more projects, including smaller ones, mobilising more investment, and encouraging economic reform.
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