This evaluation is the firstcomprehensive assessment of World Bank Group'smultisectoral engagement in pollution management with 534projects and US$34 billion commitment during FY04-17. Itfinds that the Bank Group has made significant progress inimproving pollution management in client countries althoughimportant gaps remain. World Bank efforts to set upcountry-level pollution monitoring systems have beenrelatively rare, despite a recent surge. Pollution does notget adequately prioritized in country strategies. TheBank's Country Environmental Analyses have beeninstrumental in prioritizing pollution in policy dialogue.Yet, they have only been prepared for 42 countries (28percent of client countries) and the extent in which thosecountry strategies reflect identified pollution concerns islimited. Overall, the magnitude of the Bank Group'sengagement has declined as a share of the overall portfolioeven as global pollution levels have risen. It has alsomissed opportunities to fight indoor and outdoor airpollution, which are responsible for the highest share ofdeaths caused by pollution. The Bank Group's climatechange mitigation portfolio provides an opportunity toaddress outdoor air pollution, helping to build the case toclient countries justifying such interventions that yieldco-benefits: pollution and greenhouse gas reduction. Aboutone-third of IFC client companies do not meet the relevantrequirements for air emissions and wastewater. IEGrecommends strengthening monitoring efforts, strengtheningcountry analytical work to ensure a more comprehensiveintegration to the identified pollution priorities in theSCDs and subsequent CPFs, scaling up and recalibrating theWorld Bank’s support in pollution management, leveraging itsclimate change portfolio to better combat local and regionalair pollution, and strengthening IFC’s advisory support tohelp its investment clients better comply with pollution requirements.
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