Aafrin Kidwai 
The World Bank Board of Executive Directors has approved a $105 million project to support Kerala in strengthening its solid waste management systems and services. The project will be implemented in all 93 ULBs across all 14 districts in Kerala.
The Kerala Solid Waste Management Project (KSWMP) will establish an integrated solid waste management system that includes a balanced mix of decentralized and centralized waste management interventions. It will support multiple activities at local and regional levels including the expansion of waste collection services, development of waste recycling and management facilities, remediation and closure of existing dumpsites, development of scientific landfills, and sanitization of government offices, hospitals, community-level waste recycling, and processing facilities. The project will pay special attention to the financial, operational, and environmental sustainability of the solid waste management systems to be developed in the state.
The project will also support behavior change and awareness programs to motivate waste reduction, source-separation, and reuse through extensive communication and outreach activities.
The project is the first end-to-end solid waste management project of the World Bank in India and is aligned with the long-term State Partnership Strategy between the World Bank and the Government of Kerala that focuses on building climate-smart and disaster-resilient urban infrastructure in Kerala as one of the core priorities under the Rebuilding Kerala Initiative (RKI).
The $105 million loans from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has a final maturity of 13.5 years including a grace period of six years.
Editor’s Note: This news article is taken from a press release issued by the World Bank on March 9.
Picture Credit: Shiny Things, World Bank building at Washington, CC BY 2.0
