The Project :
Centering
the national goal for safe water supply and hygienic
sanitation coverage in line with the Millennium Development
Goals, the Project is under implementation by NGO
Forum with the resource sharing of Terre Des Hommes
Netherlands. A strong networking partnership is maintained
with other relevant catalysts and stakeholders. The
main thrust of the Project is to ensure sustainability
of the safe water supply, hygienic sanitation & hygiene
habits in the respective off-shore communities. Social
mobilization, transfer of ownership to the community
and linking the private sector with rural water supply
and sanitation are the key implementation strategies
of the Project. Following the community-managed approach
the Project is under implementation in 3 off-shore
islands covering 5 unions of Galachipa upazila in
Patuakhali district.
Background of
the Project Area:
Bangladesh has several difficult and hard-to-reach
geo-physical locations like the wetland area, the
char area, the haor area, the off-shore island, the
hill tracts, etc. Among the different geo-physical
areas the char area is one of the most distinct and
difficult in terms of communication and moderate civil
amenities. In the dynamics of erosion and accretion
in the rivers of Bangladesh, the sand bars emerging
as islands within the river or, as attached land to
the riverbanks, often create new opportunities to
establish settlements on them. Chars in Bangladesh
can be considered a 'by-product' of the hydro-morphological
dynamics of its rivers.
Among the chars there are different type of chars
that are totally disconnected from the land and is
closer to the sea. They are called off-shore islands.
A large number of such islands have been developed
in-between the channels across the funnel-shaped and
shallow northern Bay of Bengal. The combined Padma-Jamuna-Meghna
river basin through the Meghna estuaries brings enormous
load of sediment to the off-shore territory, thereby
forming a series of islands. The distribution pattern
of the islands is such that a majority of them have
been developed in the central part of the coast. The
region is most dynamic and intense erosion and sedimentation
take place here regularly. As a result, the coastline
is irregular and broken.
The very active tidal channel networks of this region
have divided the region into several small islands,
including the Sundarbans. Between Haringhata and Tentulia
rivers there are quite a large number of densely populated
off-shore islands under the district of Barguna and
Patuakhali. Some of these islands are Patharghata,
Amtali, Kalapara, Char Kajal, Rangabali, Char Biswas,
Baishdia and Bauphal.
The off-shore islands under Patuakhali district are
the most remote ones, and considered as the most difficult
and disadvantaged parts of the country. All these
islands are densely populated. The people living there
are suffering from immense difficulties as they face
the devastating natural disasters like cyclone almost
regularly while tidal surge is a very common phenomenon.
.
Rationale
of the Project :
Bangladesh is the biggest delta of the world. The
off-shore islands of Bangladesh do not have any shortage
of water but people of these islands very commonly
face scarcity of safe water. The shallow Tubewells
do not function due to salinity and high iron concentration
in groundwater, and at the same time arsenic contamination.
The Deep Tubewells are very expensive for the poor
island people. Bangladesh is located at the end of
the funnel of the Bay of Bengal. This gives a perfect
breeding ground for the cyclones and tropical storms
to form. As a result of regular inundation the protected
ponds become saline, the safe water sources get inundated
by the cyclone accompanied by the tidal surge. Therefore,
water supply is a very common concern for any development
initiatives to sustain in the off-shore islands. And
this region has been remaining as the hard-to-reach
area.
Ensuring sanitary latrine for the island people is
also a very challenging issue. Intensity & intrusion
of salinity and regular cyclone and tidal surge destroy
the facilities forcing the people to practice open
defecation and at the same time decreases there motivation
to install a new sanitary latrine. This has a direct
impact on the hygiene practice. This region is also
often considered as one of the most diarrhoea-prone
area of the country. As a result the people are more
vulnerable in relation to Public Health situation.
For the promotion of sustainable Public Health situation
in these hard-to-reach areas, this Project is a special
commitment to ensure safe water supply, environmental
sanitation and hygiene habits combating the challenges
of climate change
Project Goal:
Mortality
and morbidity caused by water and excreta-borne diseases
reduced significantly among the disadvantaged off-shore
island people in the coastal belt.
Project
Objective :
Safe & sustainable water supply,
environmental sanitation and personal hygiene facilities
significantly improved in the selected disadvantaged
off-shore islands in the coastal belt in adaptation
with climate change issues.
Project
Partners:
■
Local Government
Institutions (LGIs)
■ Village
Development Committee (VDC)
■
Union &
Ward WatSan Promotion Committee
■
Local Allies
(school teachers, students, religious leaders)
■
Private
Sector Operators
■
Journalists
of Mass Media
■
Other
Relevant Stakeholders
Project Location:
Three
(3) off-shore islands covering 5 unions under Galachipa
upazila of Patuakhali district will be covered under
the Project. The islands are: Char Kajol, Char Biswas,
Chhoto Baishdia, Baro Baishdia and Ranga Bali.
Major Activities:
Software Services
■
Training
to Local Catalysts & Community People
■
Advocacy
& Information Services
■
Development
Communication
■
Community
Mobilization
■
Research
on Climate Change & WatSan Services
Software
Services
■
Safe
Water Supply
■
Hygienic
Sanitation Facilities
■
Post
Disaster Emergency Supports
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