Public-Private Partnership for achieving sustainable development goals: a case study of Khulna, Bangladesh

Abstract

PurposePublic-Private Partnership (PPP) is a common practice in both the public and private sectors. PPP has been an important instrument to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the national level. However, the role of PPP at the subnational level is often scarcely studied. Using Khulna city of Bangladesh as a case, this paper aims to assess the role of PPP projects in the attainment of SDGs.Design/methodology/approachThe research was conducted in the Central Business District (CBD) of Khulna, on a total of 4.6 kilometers stretches of road medians in the CBD where landscaping was done through the PPP approach. Besides the collection of secondary data from official records, primary data were collected through site visits, field surveys and interviews of PPP project partners.FindingsThe result shows that 89 percent of the respondents (road users) were pleased with the landscaping done on the road medians. Similarly, about 86 percent of the respondents felt more comfortable and safer to use the roads. Well-maintained road medians allow road-crossing at a regular interval which reduces the chance of an accident. The private parties have installed promotional billboards on the road medians and saved BDT 10.82 million a year. The public authority saves the maintenance budget amounting to BDT 23 million a year. The project achieves a triple-win situation. Despite some limitations, this PPP project has taken Khulna a step forward to achieve SDGs.Originality/valueThe findings have policy implications as the PPP project has enhanced the resilience of Khulna by addressing the relevant SDGs.

Exploring Private Sector Engagement for Faecal Sludge Emptying and Transport Business in Khulna, Bangladesh

“…Despite a large number of public-private partnership (PPP) projects under the central government of Bangladesh, in areas of energy, transport, port, water supply, etc., very few PPP projects are under the local government, and most of them are confined to solid waste [ 11 ]. A study by Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) revealed that PPPs offer a strong platform for developing approaches to FSM in Bangladesh [ 12 ].…”

Socioeconomic and environmental impacts of bridge construction: evidence from the Khan Jahan Ali Bridge, Khulna, Bangladesh

“…Bangladesh is a developing country and has been moving forward to become a developed country by 2041. The government has spent billions of US$ to meet urban infrastructure requirements (Haque et al , 2020). Urbanization is mainly due to push–pull factors in Bangladesh.…”

Environmental benefits of blue ecosystem services and residents’ willingness to pay in Khulna city, Bangladesh

“…Khulna is one of the four major cities in Bangladesh that has more than one million population. Locating on the Bank of Bhairab-Rupsha River, Khulna City (officially known as Khulna City Corporation- KCC) has been developed as the main center of trade, commerce, industry, administration, health and education in the southwest region for half a century ( Haque et al., 2020 ). This city offers all kinds of urban amenities and services and has a well-developed transportation network, therefore, the city experiences a huge influx of people from nearby cities and regions ( Haque et al., 2020 ).…”

“…Due to the lack of such market-based policy instruments (such as payment for ecosystem services- PES), the pond owners find it profitable to fill the pond for real-estate business. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a framework to conserve the remaining ponds and restore the degraded ones wherever possible to maintain a healthy urban environment in Khulna city ( Haquet et al., 2020 ).…”