World Bank loans Brazil US$ 270 million for infrastructure

The World Bank has approved two loans totalling US$ 270.65 million for two major projects aiming at improving transport conditions and controlling environmental and water pollution in the State of São Paulo, Brazil.

The São Paulo State Feeder Road Project, which receives US$ 166.65 million, aims to improve the efficiency of the paved municipal road network; while the Integrated Water Management Project in Metropolitan São Paulo, which receives US$ 104 million, will protect and maintain the quality of potable and other water sources.

"The partnership between the State of São Paulo and the World Bank has been extremely important to the development of projects such as the São Paulo Feeder Road, which [by] 2010 will rehabilitate a total of 12000 km of roads, facilitating the movement of people and the delivery of products from the interior of the State," said São Paulo governor José Serra.

"Another important partnership is the São Paulo Mananciais Project, which aims to recover large water reservoirs serving the metropolitan region and organize the land occupation in the surrounding areas, thereby ensuring water supply in São Paulo, one of the largest urban areas in the world", added Mr Serra.

The Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP) has 19.3 million inhabitants in 39 municipalities covering 8050 km2 and accounts for 17% of Brazil's GDP and 10% of the population.