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Introduction :
The Action Research has been initiated to
introduce cost-effective, technically, socio-economically and
environmentally innovative and replicable approaches to
environmental sanitation and waste management in densely
populated and economically fragile peri-urban communities of
coastal areas of South Asia. The need for this Action Research
has been felt because of the problems faced by municipalities
in densely populated and ecologically fragile coastal areas in
South Asia to improve sanitary conditions to reduce
environmental and health risks and stimulate socio-economic
development. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India and Finland are
jointly undertaking this Research. IRC the Netherlands has
been playing the coordinating role in conducting this Action
Research. In Bangladesh, NGO Forum has been facilitating the
implementation of this Action Research through one of its
partner NGOs. Ward no. 5 of Morelganj Municipality under
Bagerhat district has been selected as the target field in
Bangladesh under this Study.
Project Implementation Area :
District. Ward No. 5 of
Morelganj Municipality under Bagerhat district.
Project Duration :
January 2003 – December 2005
Goal:
To measure the
cost-effectiveness of technically, socio-economically and
environmentally innovative and replicable approaches to
excreta and solid waste management in the selected area
through awareness raising and mobilizing the respective
community people towards innovation of some ‘do it
yourself’ WatSan models.
Objective :
■
Measure the cost effectiveness
of technically, socio-economically, and environmentally
innovative and replicable approaches to excreta and solid
waste management in low income semi-urban settlements in a
part of Asia that has lagged behind in sanitation.
■
Measurable improvement in
sanitation conditions.
■
Scale up the tested approaches through integration of lessons
learned in sanitation policies and implementation programmes
of local and state governments.
■
Strengthen interdisciplinary
cooperation and implementation skills of the participating
research and civil society institutions through knowledge
exchange, cross-regional training and joint documentation of
studies, interventions and results.
Major
Activities :
■
Plan and organize the more
participatory and gender and poverty conscious pilot
sanitation projects.
■
Assess the existing situation
through baseline surveys.
■
Promote composting latrines and
household waste collection, sorting and recycling and generate
employment for poor women as latrine masons and waste
collectors and recyclers.
■
Implement the pilots in close
cooperation with Local Governments including training for
technical and promotional tasks and monitor cost.
Progress:
The Action Research has been in progress covering three main
components based on the thematic perspectives of the project:
Institutional Aspect: The Action Research has
established a mechanism that includes the local government
institutions (LGIs) specifically the Morelganj Municipality
authority, local elites, local youths and local NGO as the
relevant actors to facilitate the awareness building and
community mobilization activities with a view to achieving the
goal. The unique integration among these stakeholders has been
ensured through forming three different committees with their
spontaneous participation. The committees are Project
Management Committee, Project Advisory Committee and Voluntary
Group.
Community Mobilization: Relevant issue-based Workshop,
Waste and WatSan Fair, Courtyard Meeting, Community Meeting,
School Programme, Group Meeting, One to One Discussion, etc
have been conducted with a view to mobilizing the respective
community people to ensure the promotion of environmental
sanitation and solid waste management.
Hardware Aspect: Being mobilized with their regular
participation in Community Mobilization process the community
people have so far installed 1 PSF, 8 RWHS and 6
Household-based Composting Plants by their own. No cost has
been borne from the project part for these hardware
facilities. |
