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The World Bank has approved a US$155 million International Development Association (IDA) grant to support the government�s efforts to improve sanitation and water supply services in the country. It is also intends to help improve the capacity of government agencies to plan and manage natural resources more sustainably. Correspondence to that effect, which was made available to the Daily Graphic, said the amount which was approved by the board of the bank said the first US$5 million of the amount would be used to support the Natural Resources and Environmental Governance (NREG) project. This project is designed to provide technical assistance to help improve the capacity of government agencies to plan, manage and use natural resources in selected sectors more effectively and sustainably. The project will also support the analytical work, policy dialogue, consultations and capacity building to address critical sector challenges identified in the first phase of the NREG Programme. According to Mr Jamal Saghir, the World Bank Director of Sustainable Development, Africa Region, the high rate of environmental resource degradation exacts a heavy toll on Ghana. He said �these funds will help the government to better manage its natural resources, particularly its forests, and bring more jobs and improved livelihood opportunities to people living in the rural and forest areas�. The second IDA grant of $US150 million will support the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area Sanitation and Water Project. This is a five-year programme designed to bring sanitation facilities and water supply to residents in the Accra Metropolitan areas with emphasis on low income communities. The project selection will take into account the specific physical conditions of each community, such as soil characteristics and space availability. According to the World Bank Task Team Leader for the project, Ventura Bengoechea, �Ghana�s economic growth has been accompanied by rapid urbanisation. �But the provision of basic services has not kept up, and it is particularly affecting people living in low-income areas,� he added.