Achievements

WaterAid Bangladesh projects have made a real difference to millions of people.

Credit: WaterAid / Juthika Howlader

Since 2003, WaterAid Bangladesh has been implementing an integrated package of safe water supply, sanitation and hygiene promotion under the "Advancing Sustainable Environmental Health" (ASEH) project.

This project is expected to cover 5.74 million people across the country.

WaterAid also takes an active role in advocacy, disseminating best practice and learning from the experiences of others, by organising conferences, writing strategy papers and running campaigns:

Asia Conference on Sanitation (SACOSAN)
To help promote the importance of sanitation, WaterAid Bangladesh, in alliance with major stakeholders, lobbied the government to hold the first ever South Asia Conference on Sanitation in October 2003 in Dhaka. WaterAid Bangladesh was one of the co-hosts of the conference and also contributed in the drafting of the Dhaka Declaration.

Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP)
WaterAid Bangladesh made substantial effort to develop the water supply and sanitation section of WaterAid's PRSP. In order to raise the grass root peoples' voice in the paper, WaterAid, from the very beginning, emphasised community consultation through partner NGOs.

WaterAid Bangladesh worked as a member of the Water Supply and Sanitation Sub-thematic Group of the PRSP drafting committee. As a result of all these efforts, the water supply and sanitation section has been incorporated as one of the eight strategic development issues in the final Paper.

National Sanitation Strategy
WaterAid Bangladesh has made alliances with key sector stakeholders and lobbied the Government to formulate the National Sanitation Strategy. We provided technical and financial support in developing the National Sanitation Strategy 2005, which is a major policy landmark for the sector.

We also contributed significantly towards formulating various national water and sanitation policies, such as the pro-poor strategy for water and sanitation services, and the Sector Development Programme.

National Sanitation Campaign
WaterAid Bangladesh, along with other civil society actors, took a leading role in coordinating the nationwide sanitation campaign aiming to achieve 100% sanitation by 2010. In recognition of WaterAid's contribution to the National Sanitation Campaign, the government honoured us in 2005 with the National Sanitation Award. In total, WaterAid Bangladesh and its partner organisations bagged five out of the eight available sanitation awards!

More about Bangladesh