41% people lack access to safe water, increase allocation in WASH in budget: Experts
According to experts, 41% of the population still lacks access to safe water facilities, while a staggering 61% lack access to safe sanitation facilities at home
Experts have urged for an increased allocation to the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector in the fiscal year 2023-24 budget to address the pressing issue of inadequate access to safe water and sanitation among a significant portion of the population.
They have also said that failure to take action in this regard could hinder the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030.
During a pre-budget press conference held at the Jatiya Press Club on Tuesday, various organisations, including WaterAid Bangladesh, Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC), Unicef Bangladesh, Freshwater Action Network South Asia Bangladesh, FSM Network, Bangladesh Water Integrity Network, Sanitation and Water for All, End Water Poverty, MHM Platform, and Wash Alliance International highlighted the current state of access to safe water and sanitation.
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According to experts, 41% of the population still lacks access to safe water facilities, while a staggering 61% lack access to safe sanitation facilities at home.
In his keynote speech, PPRC Chairman Hossain Zillur Rahman expressed deep concern over these statistics, noting that only 59% of the population has access to "safely managed drinking water" and 39% to "safely managed sanitation".
Zillur emphasised the need to prioritise spatial inequality and community engagement in the allocation of funds for the WASH sector within the upcoming budget. Specifically, he highlighted two areas that require immediate attention – underserved regions such as chars, climate-vulnerable areas, haors, and hilly regions, as well as intra-urban inequities.
He further stressed the importance of allocating funds for Fecal Sludge Management in secondary towns and urbanised villages. Such measures are crucial for achieving the national targets of 100% safe drinking water and 100% safely managed sanitation.
He also called for the establishment of a monitoring agency to oversee the allocation of funds to the WASH sector, as the majority of current allocations are directed towards urban areas. Given that approximately 65 lakh people reside in coastal areas, priority allocations are urgently needed there.
In addition to these recommendations, experts advocated for a greater policy focus on environmental issues, climate change, and disaster hotspots within the WASH sector.
They emphasised the importance of stronger advocacy to secure better allocations in these areas. Projects and programmes addressing climate change, disaster resilience, risk communication, community engagement, as well as Solid Waste Management in cities and secondary towns, should also receive policy priority and increased budgetary support.
During the press conference, WaterAid Country Director Hasin Jahan highlighted the need for nature-based plans to ensure clean water for coastal communities. In many areas, even tube well water is unfit for consumption due to salinity. Therefore, the government should increase the budget allocation to meet this basic need.
