The World Bank has approved a loan of US$173 million to China to improve urban environment in northeast China's Liaoning Province, WB China sources said on Wednesday.

 

The project will assist eight medium-sized cities in Liaoning to improve water supply as well as waste water and solid waste disposal services.

 

According to the WB, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) co-financed the project with a grant of US$5 million.

 

The WB loan will finance construction of wastewater collection and treatment facilities, water distribution pipelines and solid waste collection and transfer work, installation of water supply meters and upgrading of water treatment plants.

 

The GEF grant will be used to provide technical assistance in design and construction, public utility improvement programs, solid waste master planning and water pollution control planning.

 

Enhanced waste water and solid waste services will also help reduce pollution into East China's Bohai Sea and help improve water quality, said Greg Browder, senior environmental engineer and project task leader.

 

(Xinhua News Agency June 28, 2007)