MANDEVILLE, Jamaica : World Bank President Ajay Banga wants to focus on improving the development lender so that he can earn the right to press member countries for more capital, as the new chief looks to expand its role in fighting climate change, pandemics and other crises.
"I think a better bank is an important thing" to achieve."And then I earn the right to come back ask for a bigger bank," he said. "What I mean by livable is climate, but also pandemics, and also fragility and food insecurity," Banga said. On Wednesday, he visited a Jamaican greenhouse farm that uses abandoned bauxite mining pits to collect rainwater for drip irrigation, allowing 20 local farmers to grow peppers and tomatoes, selling some to resorts.
He also said he would start work soon on efforts to harness more private capital, seen as essential for financing climate-related and other projects, for developing countries.