World Bank grants $6.4M for pollution reduction in Black Sea

By Emir Yildirim

ISTANBUL (AA) - The World Bank on Friday approved a grant of $6.39 million for a project to reduce pollution in the Black Sea.

A statement by the bank said that the Black Sea became one of the most polluted water bodies in Europe due to eutrophication, chemical pollution, invasive species, ineffective wastewater treatment, industrial hot spots, and atmospheric deposition.

The project, Blueing the Black Sea Global Environment Facility Project (BBSEA GEF), will invest in pollution prevention and reduction, while going over the regulations of the countries concerned, which are Georgia, Moldova, Türkiye, and Ukraine, whose governments and private sectors will be supported with the grant.

The BBSEA GEF project will aim to create a sustainable management for the Black Sea via developing investment recommendations and boosting regional dialogue and cooperation between Black Sea littoral nations.

“Climate change is intensifying the impacts of pollution in the Black Sea, leading to rising temperatures and heightened risks of waterborne diseases, and the project will support strengthening the preparedness of governments and the private sector to take actions,” said Carolina Sanchez-Paramo, regional director of strategy and operations at the World Bank.