WaterAid in collaboration with Severn Trent, a water supply management company of UK, has launched a project titled ‘Promoting Climate-Resilient Water Supply and Sanitation in Southwest Bangladesh’. The launch announcement was made through a press conference recently at CIRDAP.
The five-year project aims to improve the availability of affordable drinking water in schools and community clinics in four unions of Assasuni upazila of Satkhira district. The project will be implemented by promoting climate-resilient water supply facilities, mobilising local resources through community engagement, and enhancing community’s capacities to own, operate and manage the facilities.
Through the project, WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) in schools and healthcare facilities will be improved, and model WASH complexes including MHM (menstrual hygiene management) facilities will be installed for demonstration and replication at a large scale by development workers and the government. Hygiene awareness initiatives will also be carried out at the community, school, and healthcare facilities for effective and sustainable behaviour change.
On this occasion, Mr Imrul Kayes Muniruzzaman, Director of Fundraising and Learning of WaterAid Bangladesh said, “Bangladesh faces climate threat like no other.
The coastal belt of the country is prone to regular cyclones, and life there is difficult. Through this project, we aim to provide sustainable and resilient long-term solutions to the communities residing in the country’s coastal areas in order to fulfill their basic needs – water, sanitation and hygiene.”
Also present at the press conference were Mr. Swapan Kumar Guha, Executive Director, Rupantar along with stakeholders from WASH Sector.