Bangladesh
Creating change in low-income urban communities
Letter from Bangladesh: Climate mitigation in Chattogram
July 2022: Under heavy rainfall, dwellers suffer from waterlogging, contributed by the waste dumping at the drainage and canal networks.
World Water Day: videos show groundwater’s challenges and value
March 2022: The water from aquifers face a number of different threats, and those who benefit from this source understand well its importance.
Around 60 million people in Bangladesh currently live in urban areas, and this number is rising fast.
Climate change events like land erosion, flooding and droughts are driving more people to towns and cities every year, putting extra strain on already stretched water and sanitation resources.
Nearly half the population in urban areas have no access to improved sanitation facilities, impacting their health, safety, dignity and economic opportunities. For densely-packed urban communities this can mean raw sewage drains directly into rivers.
WSUP has worked in Bangladesh since 2008, supporting service providers in Dhaka, Chattogram, Rangpur and Barishal. In this time we’ve focused on economically and environmentally sustainable measures to increase access to safe and affordable water and sanitation in the poorest urban communities.
If we can systematically collect the faecal waste and dispose it in a planned manner, then our dream of a Green City may come true.
A round-up of SWEEP: WSUP’s solution to tackle Bangladesh’s sanitation challenge
February 2022: The SWEEP service has transformed the collection of human waste in three of the largest cities in Bangladesh, with the potential to go much further.
Valuing water: the importance of clean water for garment industry workers
March 2021: The readymade garment industry is the lifeline of the Bangladesh economy. Yet, the workers in these factories who live in nearby low-income communities lack access to clean water, safe sanitation, and handwashing facilities.
How climate change is worsening sanitation in Bangladesh, Rangpur
November 2020: Unusual rainfall this year left residents in Rangpur, one of the main cities in Bangladesh, with little or no access to sanitation facilities. Without concerted action, the living conditions of the poorest may get worse.
Referee! Responsibilities, regulations and regulating for urban sanitation
June 2020: This Discussion Paper synthesises experience from Eastern and Southern Africa and Bangladesh to explore the evolving role of regulators in driving urban sanitation service improvements. In Bangladesh it looks at the broad assignment of institutional responsibilities for sanitation.
From the front line of climate change: residents tell their stories
March 2020: What does climate change mean for the most vulnerable people living in urban areas? We give a snapshot of the challenges faced around the world, from rising temperatures in Bangladesh to destruction of water systems in Mozambique.
Learn more about our work in Bangladesh:
Blog: November 2019 – A vision of a Green City: can improved sanitation help?
Blog: October 2018 – Keep your hands clean! Preventing diseases, saving lives
Blog: October 2017 – Transforming the market for emptying toilets in Bangladesh
Blog: October 2017 – Staying healthy in Bangladesh through improved hygiene practices
Project: September 2019 – Analysing citizen and decision-maker attitudes to urban freshwater pollution
This project aimed to understand the attitudes of Bangladeshi decision-makers and citizens on urban freshwater pollution and contribute to the development of an effective and politically viable regulatory model for discharge of faecal sludge and industrial pollutants.
To find out how you can support our work in Bangladesh, please contact us at partnerships@wsup.com or call us on +44 (0)20 7822 1867.