Our Work in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Current Situation

Dhaka is a city of 12 million people. Approximately 4 million of these people live in slum and squatter communities without access to basic services such as water and sanitation. It is estimated that 90% of slum dwellers lack access to safe water supplies and 85% lack access to hygienic toilets. Hanging latrines, which deposit waste directly into waterways, are a common feature of the slums and are extremely unhygienic. The results of life in these filthy and sub-human environments are not surprising: over 325,000 children die each year in Bangladesh. The poor of Bangladesh spend over $70 million annually on health care costs for the treatment of diarrhea.

Legalizing Water Points for Slum Dwellers

Water 1st provides grants to our local partner organization working in three urban slums in Dhaka, Bangladesh: Pallabi, Demra, and Kamrangir Char. Through an innovative process, Water 1st’s local partner organization has been providing water and sanitation services to slum communities for over a decade. Our local partner has negotiated with the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA) for permission to establish public water points that connect to DWASA’s pipelines. The Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) has given permission to use land for installation of the water points. For slums located outside the service area of DWASA, deep wells are drilled and handpumps are installed.

Community-Based Organizations and Capital Cost-Recovery

Our local partner helps to build healthy community-based organizations with strong participation from women. All-female water point committees are formed, and the community itself is assigned to manage the water point and they bear the cost of maintenance, water point caretaker’s salaries, and the water bills – based on meter readings to the water point - from DWASA. The community also pays the initial capital cost of construction of the water points through a loan over a three to five-year period. Our local partner conducts training with the community and water point committee on management; maintenance of the water point; and health, hygiene and behavioral practices. Community members are actively involved in the design of the project, specifically selecting locations for water points and formulating water use rules and repayment of credit.

Latrines and Solid Waste

In rural areas, sanitation is usually provided through household pit latrines. However, in crowded city slums, sanitation services are mainly provided by latrines connected either to septic tanks or to the city’s sewerage mains. Sanitation blocks are established which offer segregated latrines and washing facilities for men and women. The community then pays for the septic tanks to be emptied as necessary.

All schools located in the slum areas are surveyed to determine their water and sanitation situation. Installation or repairs of water supply systems and sanitary latrines is conducted in schools with participation of teachers, school management committees and school children.

Finally, in order to address the solid waste problem in the slum areas, Water 1st supports the implementation of a house-to-house solid waste collection system.

Bangladesh Films and Photos: