World Bank lends China $ 147 mln for waste treatment

BEIJING, Feb 28 (Reuters) The World Bank is extending a 147 million dollars loan to China to help finance the construction and upgrading of waste-water and solid-waste treatment facilities in the eastern province of Shandong, the bank said today.

Improving the environment in the coastal province, the country's second most populous, would be important to helping it maintain its rapid economic growth, the World Bank said.

''A shortage of water, inadequate waste water collection and treatment, and lack of solid waste management facilities are presenting serious challenges for the sustainable development of the province,'' it said in a statement.

The project, which will cost a total of 281 million dollars, will finance the development of a range of facilities across nine cities and counties, the World Bank said.

The Global Environment Facility was also supporting the project with a 5 million dollar grant for a pilot programme on the use of septic tanks in coastal areas, it said.

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