© Helvetas
Bangladesh

Promoting inclusive & resilient WASH in hard-to-reach areas Bangladesh

© Helvetas
  • Project Name
    IAIWASH-Increasing Access to Improved WASH Services in Bangladesh
  • Project Phase
    2023 to 2030
  • Funding
    charity: water and Helvetas
  • Thematic focus
    Water Food and Climate

The southwestern coastal belt and the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) are among  the most climate-affected areas of Bangladesh. Sea level rising, frequent inundations and saline water intrusion, flash floods and landslides are reducing the availability of safe drinking water and heavily affecting the health of the communities. Helvetas Bangladesh has been working since 2013 to strengthening climate-vulnerable communities resilience and improving prevention and capacity to respond to natural disasters.

Under Water, Food and Climate – WFC domain, funded by charity: water, we are implementing the Increasing Access to Improved WASH Services (IAIWASH) project. The goal is to support communities and local actors in increasing access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene services, thus contributing to reducing water-borne diseases and health risks exacerbated by climate change.

IAIWASH promotes resilient and inclusive WASH infrastructures in communities and schools, by involving people and local government actors in mapping water resources and planning and managing water points and WASH services. The project, implemented with the Development Organisation of the Rural Poor (DORP) in coastal areas and Trinamul Unnayan Sangtha (TUS) in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) developing climate-smart solutions adapted to the needs of the most vulnerable, such as pond sand filters (PSF) and rainwater harvesting systems,  wells with a handpump, piped water supply systems, Gravity Flow Systems (GFS) and infiltration galleries with off-grid systems, climate-resilient attached toilets, and inclusive WASH block at school including Menstrual Hygiene Management facilities.

Rupa Begum is happy for accessing safe drinking water, which reduced medical costs for her family | © Helvetas
Rupa Begum is now  accessing safe drinking water, which reduced medical costs for her family © Helvetas
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Girls are confidently managing their menstrual hygiene in school with the support of an inclusive WASH block.
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A community consultation meeting to select the site and design a Solar Operated Pond Sand Filter.
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The overview of the IAIWASH project is as follows:

Goal:  To contribute towards reducing public health risks of climate-vulnerable communities living in the southwestern coastal zone and Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh.

Objective:  To reduce waterborne diseases among climate-vulnerable populations in the Southwestern and CHT districts by increasing access to affordable, sustainable, and climate-resilient WASH services ensuring year-round availability of safe water and improved sanitation and hygiene practices in household and schools

Outcome 1:  Increased access to inclusive and climate-resilient WASH services for households and educational institutions in climate-vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities.

Outcome 2:  Households in climate-vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities have adopted Water Safety Plans, and awareness of handwashing at the five critical times has increased.

Outcome 3:  Increased awareness of menstrual hygiene management (MHM) among adolescent girls in educational institutions and women in the community.

Outcome 4: Strengthened capacity and active participation of vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities in the management and sustainability of WASH services.

Outcome 5: Communities and children are empowered to effectively participate in the decision-making, management, and sustainability of WASH services, ensuring their accessibility and long-term viability

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