ENB:03:04
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WORLD BANK:
Andrew Steer, Deputy Director of the Environment
Department, said that the World Bank's environmental activities --
which involve policy dialogue, lending, technical assistance,
research, and aid coordination -- have four objectives: assisting
member countries in setting priorities, building institutions and
implementing programmes for sound environmental stewardship;
ensuring that potential adverse environmental impacts from
Bank-financed projects are addressed; assisting member countries in
building on the synergies among poverty reduction, economic
efficiency, and environmental protection; and addressing global
environmental challenges through participation in the GEF. There
are now more than 100 Bank-financed environmental or forestry
projects under implementation in 50 countries, representing Bank
commitments of some US$5 billion and total investments of almost
US$13 billion. Internally, the Bank now has about 200 full-time
environmental specialists -- an increase of about 25 since a year
ago and a sharp contrast to the five environmental specialists at
the Bank in the mid-1980s.