1. Challenges acknowledged
Ignorance continued:
WaSH deprivation of excluded community
Md Khairul Islam and Aftab Opel
WaterAid in Bangladesh
Asia Regional Sanitation and Hygiene Practitioners Workshop
31 January – 2 February 2012
Dhaka, Bangladesh
www.wateraid.org/bangladesh

2. Election Manifesto of AL
The arsenic problem will be tackled and measures
will be taken to supply pure drinking water for all by
2011 and to provide sanitation facility in every house
by 2013.
11.2 Av‡m©wbK mgm¨v mgvavb K‡i
2011 mv‡ji g‡a¨ mevi Rb¨ wbivc`
my‡cq cvwb Ges 2013 mv‡ji g‡a¨
cÖwZ evwo‡Z ¯^v¯’¨m¤§Z
m¨vwb‡Uk‡bi e¨e¯’v Kiv n‡e|
www.wateraid.org/bangladesh

3. Sanitation challenges
Only 54% population have access to improved
sanitation in Bangladesh (25% shared latrines -
unimproved)
Less than 20% people practice improved hygiene
(observation on hand washing)
Unsafe sanitation cost Bangladesh US$ 4.2 billion
each year -- equivalent to 6.3% of GDP (2007)
www.wateraid.org/bangladesh

4. Types and patterns of
exclusion
www.wateraid.org/bangladesh

5. The extent of geographic exclusion
MICS 2009
20.17% sub-districts represent below the average
sanitation coverage
19.96% sub-districts represents worst sanitation
coverage.
21 sub-districts represents less than 10% improved
sanitation coverage
8 sub-districts represents less than 5% improved
sanitation coverage
www.wateraid.org/bangladesh

6. Geographic exclusion (cont‟d)
GoB HtR strategy
www.wateraid.org/bangladesh

7. The extent of social exclusion
28.8% slum households have access to safe
sanitation
22 out of 25 Hill Sub-districts show below the national
average sanitation coverage
3.5% households in selected tea-gardens have access
to improved sanitation
www.wateraid.org/bangladesh

8. Challenges (exclusion) acknowledged
GoB 2005 -- Pro-Poor Strategy for Water and
Sanitation Sector in Bangladesh”, which stated that
“there is a need for „direct attack on poverty‟ as the
benefits of growth are not distributed equitably”.
SACOSAN 3 (2008) the government acknowledged
that “the poorest of the poor have .......... the greatest
difficulties to acquire their right of subsidized
sanitation services. It therefore recommended for
increasing public funding for sanitation improvement”
www.wateraid.org/bangladesh

9. Challenges (exclusion) acknowledged (cont‟d)
In 2009 (MDG Progress report), GoB
acknowledged equity and exclusion to be
major impediments to achieving many of the
MDG goals.
In 2010, SDP (2011 to 2025) emphasized
targeted programmes for different vulnerable
groups
In 2011, SACOSAN - IV reconfirmed the issues
www.wateraid.org/bangladesh

10. Challenges (exclusion) acknowledged (cont‟d)
In 2011 Declaration of BanglaSan
Special programmes for underserved areas especially
the hill tracts, char, haor, coastal areas, islands, tea
gardens, slums, Barind tract, disaster-prone and
poverty-stricken areas will be taken and implemented
on a priority-basis.
Priority will be given to the demands of
underprivileged populations, disabled persons, senior
citizens, women and children in every sanitation-
related programme.
www.wateraid.org/bangladesh

11. Challenges (exclusion) acknowledged (cont‟d)
In 2011 National Strategy for Water and Sanitation
for Hard to Reach Areas of Bangladesh
“there are areas that received very little attention.
Extreme poverty in these areas exacerbates the water
and sanitation crisis. While the Government of
Bangladesh has set its targets of achieving full
coverage of water and sanitation by 2011 and 2013
respectively, these areas need special attention in
different aspects of development”.
www.wateraid.org/bangladesh

12. Ignorance continued - Fatal neglect to sanitation
Public sector budget allocations for WSS have
increased steadily, from 2.3% in FY 2007 to 5.6% in
FY 2011 – almost 3 folds
FY 2003/04 and FY 2009/10 - the total allocation
was Tk 224,519 crore under 7 ADPs.
Only 1.6% was spent over this 7 year period on 42
development projects that covered at least one
component of sanitation.
The allocation exclusively for sanitation (hygienic or
improved latrine) purposes was only 0.2%
www.wateraid.org/bangladesh

13. Ignorance continued …… Urban bias enhanced
www.wateraid.org/bangladesh

14. Inadequate analysis even at the policy level ………
Budget speech (2009) say: “about 88 percent families are now
using sanitary latrines. By next year we shall try to raise the
use to 100 percent”
Budget speech (2010) claimed: “we …… started a program to
produce and set up around 5 lakh sanitary latrines. Another
1.9 lakh sets of sanitary latrine will be produced and installed
in FY 2010-2011
Budget speech (2011) say:, “90.6 percent families in the
country are using sanitary latrines. We are determined to
ensure sanitation for all by 2013. Accordingly, as many as
1.58 lakh sanitary latrines have been produced and installed
up to March, 2011”
www.wateraid.org/bangladesh

15. Inadequate analysis even at the policy level ………
Budget Even if the claim of yearly production of
sanitary latrines are correct it would take
about TWENTY years to reach 100% coverage.
On the other hand, if the progress was 2.6%
over the past two years and the coverage
figure in the budget document is correct, it
would also take more than SEVEN years to
achieve 100% coverage.
www.wateraid.org/bangladesh

16. Ways forward
We need focused programmes targeting the
excluded communities
Immediate implementation of the HtR strategy
Engage politically without being partisan –
remind about the election manifesto in media,
parliamentary caucus, planning cell, SWA HLM,
etc.
Any other thought – most welcome
www.wateraid.org/bangladesh

17. Thank you!
For further details please contact
WaterAid in Bangladesh
House 97/B, Road 25, Block A, Banani, Dhaka 1213, Bangladesh
Tel.: +880 2 8815757, 8818521, Fax: +880 2 9882577
email: info@wateraidbd.org
www.wateraid.org/bangladesh