Khulna Water Supply Expansion Project
City: Khulna
Key Stakeholders and PartnersKhulna Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (KWASA), Asian Development Bank (ADB)
CDIA SupportUS$ 550,000
Expected Downstream Financing$150 million (Asian Development Bank)
Infrastructure sectorsWater Supply
CDIA priority impact areasClimate Change Mitigation and Adaptation; Environmental Improvement; Good Governance; Poverty Reduction
Key City Development Issues
Khulna is the third largest city in Bangladesh, and its location along the coastal belt makes it among the most vulnerable to climate change. Rivers near it are affected by salinity intrusion, made worse by rising sea level. Historically, the city relied entirely on groundwater; and where access to piped water was available, it was scarce, intermittent, and of poor quality.
The Khulna Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (KWASA), the agency responsible for the operation of the water supply and sewerage system in Khulna City has recently completed the first phase of the Khulna Water Supply Project (KWSP) that was co-financed by ADB and the Japan International Cooperation Agency. The $323 million investment provided a sustainable water supply system for Khulna through the development of a surface water treatment plant to meet the growing demand of the city.
KWASA, following discussions with ADB South Asia Urban Water (SAUW) Department, applied for CDIA support for the conduct of a project preparation study (PPS) for the second phase of KWSP that will identify additional investments to holistically address water supply demand in the city as well as those of future populations.
Details of Cooperation
The main objective of the CDIA-financed PPS is to prepare a holistic water supply investment program that will ensure continuous supply even during dry season and enable KWASA to address salinity; increase the water supply coverage to unserved areas; and optimize system operation, including non-revenue water (NRW) management. The PPS will prioritize the sub-projects taking into account the interventions done under KWSP Phase 1. Preliminary design documents for the proposed KWSP – Phase 2 will be prepared, which will include an outline financial and economic analysis and safeguard due diligence necessary to facilitate the linkage to downstream ADB financing. It will further include the preparation of an institutional and capacity development roadmap and recommendations to address the cause of high salinity during the dry season.
Expected Development Impacts
The PPS will be the basis for the formulation of the subsequent ADB follow-up support to the KWSP, which will include the expansion of the current system to cover the unserved areas and projected population and addressing input/source water salinity and other water quality aspects through technical and management solutions.
Download: Final Report 
