Sri Lanka needs competitive and dynamic cities to reach its aspiration of becoming an upper-middle income economy and a global hub. With the end of civil unrest, the country is on a path of rapid urbanization. The Metro Colombo Region is the international gateway to Sri Lanka and houses most of the country's important institutions and services and manufacturing facilities. Therefore, there is a need to tap into the competitive advantages of the Metro Colombo Region to accelerate growth. The Metro Colombo Urban Development Project (MCUDP) is a key response to this need.
The aim of the MCUDP is to complement the ongoing urban regeneration programs of the Government of Sri Lanka by reducing the physical and socioeconomic impacts of flooding in the Metro Colombo Region and improving priority local infrastructure and services. The Project area will comprise four urban local authorities: the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), Dehiwela-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council (DMLMC), Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte Municipal Council (SJ-KMC), and Kolonnawa Urban Council (KUC). The total cost of the MCUDP is US$ 223 million. It will be jointly financed by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development of the World Bank and the Government of Sri Lanka. The Project will be managed by the Project Management Unit of the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development, while implementation responsibilities rest with three Project Implementing Agencies: Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation (SLLDC), Urban Development Authority (UDA), and CMC. The implementation period is 30 April 2012-30 June 2017.
The MCUDP comprises three main components. The first component focuses on flood and drainage management and addresses the urgent issue of urban flooding, which regularly paralyzes the economy of the Metro Colombo Region with high socioeconomic costs. The second component focuses on urban development and infrastructure rehabilitation for Project Local Authorities (PLAs)—the CMC, DMLMC, SJ-KMC, and KUC. It is aimed at supporting these authorities to rehabilitate and manage their drainage infrastructure and urban roads, implement selected demonstration urban improvements investments, and improve solid waste collection. It also includes targeted technical assistance for institutional strengthening and capacity building for central and local authorities. The third component consists of implementation support.
This component supports priority rehabilitation and improvement of flood and drainage management infrastructure identified as a priority by the inter-agency Flood Mitigation Task Force chaired by the Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation (SLLDC). The investment packages under this component are essential and critical to reduce the impact of future floods in the catchment of the Colombo Water Basin. Most of the structural investments will be aimed at improving the system of primary and secondary canals, retention areas, and drainage of the Colombo Water Basin.
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This component aims at supporting local authorities in the Metro Colombo Region to rehabilitate and manage their drainage infrastructure and streets, implement selected urban improvements investments, and contribute to improve solid waste collection. It will also support targeted capacity building for PLAs and metropolitan development strategies and planning. The component comprises the following two subcomponents.
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The objectives of this component are twofold. On the one hand, it seeks to ensure the effective implementation of the Metro Colombo Urban Development Project, including monitoring and evaluation, compliance with environmental and social safeguards, and appropriate reporting. On the other, the component will help reinforce the capacity of the Project Local Authorities, Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation, and Urnba Development Authority for sustaining and replicating Metro Colombo Urban Development Project initiatives.
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