ASSESSING THE STATUS AND ADVANCING STRATEGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE WASH SERVICES IN HARD-TO-REACH AREAS OF SOUTHERN BANGLADESH (Invited Presentation)

Over the years, Bangladesh has made significant progress in the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector, with improved drinking water sources rising from 79.5% in 2010 to 98% in 2019. Despite this, challenges remain, with only 59% of national WASH targets achieved as of 2021. JMP 2020 indicates that 68.3 million people in Bangladesh lack safely managed drinking water. This assessment aims to evaluate the status of WASH services in Paikgacha Upazila, Khulna District, establishing a benchmark to monitor progress towards universal, sustainable, and safe WASH.

The study employed a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative data (via mWater) and qualitative information using JMP core questions. Surveys were conducted in 1,200 randomly selected households across 198 communities, 102 educational institutions, and 51 public health facilities. A total of 345 drinking water samples were tested for nine parameters at Khulna University. Additionally, focus group discussions and interviews with local government officials, health managers, and stakeholders provided comprehensive insights.

Key findings reveal that 84% of households have basic water access, with only 14% of water sources safely managed. Contamination from faecal matter (55.6%) and arsenic (30.8%) is prevalent, and only 23.2% of households treat their drinking water. Water scarcity intensifies during the dry season, and the cost of water from pipelines and kiosks is 65 times higher than that of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA), straining household finances. Among educational institutions, 78.4% have basic water services, while 45.1% of public health facilities lack drinking water services entirely.

This assessment underscores the need for integrated and sustainable strategies to achieve safe and reliable WASH services in Paikgacha Upazila as well the coastal areas of Bangladesh. Geospatial tools and data science will be useful to conduct comprehensive hydrogeological studies to identify and develop sustainable groundwater sources, reducing reliance on contaminated surface water and enhance water storage infrastructure to buffer against dry season shortages. The findings and recommendations from this study will be instrumental in guiding future interventions and policy-making processes aimed at achieving universal WASH coverage in Bangladesh.