The World Bank approved a US$36 million credit to Bangladesh and a US$3 million grant to Nepal for a project to support the conservation and protection of wildlife species, including tigers, in both countries.
7 April 2011: The World Bank approved a US$36 million credit to Bangladesh and a US$3 million grant to Nepal for a project to support the conservation and protection of wildlife species, including tigers, in both countries.
The project, titled “Strengthening Regional Cooperation for Wildlife Protection in Asia,” will assist the participating governments to build or enhance shared capacity, institutions, knowledge, and incentives to collaborate in addressing illegal wildlife trade of tiger, snow leopard, rhinoceros, and elephant, the habitats of which are increasingly fragmented. The project also will support the two countries in addressing other regional conservation threats to habitats in border areas, while promoting ecotourism.
Bangladesh holds the largest remaining population of tigers in the Sundarbans region. Nepal’s biodiversity is of great importance for the country’s economy and the wellbeing of its people.
The credit from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s concessional lending arm, has a 40-year maturity, including a 10-year grace period; it carries a service charge of 0.75%. [World Bank Project Website]