Orientation and exposure visit conducted for NaBWASHA Project
Municipal officials from five municipalities led by its honourable Mayors from potential CWIS cities across Bangladesh (Lalmonirhat, Laxmipur, Sakhipur, Saidpur, and Teknaf) joined CWIS orientation and exposure visit under the bold leadership of Municipal Association of Bangladesh (MAB). President of MAB Mr Dewan Kamal Ahmed and CEO of MAB Mr Parimal Dev welcomed these municipalities in four days long event (12-15 September 2022) organised by WaterAid.
Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) aims to achieve the urban sanitation targets envisioned in the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 in an equitable way. CWIS involves internalising system functions such as responsibility, accountability, and resource planning, strengthening local capacities, and ensuring key service outcomes such as safety, equity, and sustainability. WaterAid with gracious support from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation initiated a project titled ‘National and Bilateral WASH Advocacy (NaBWASHA)’ in Bangladesh.
The overall goal of this orientation and exposure visit is to sensitise key officials from MAB and selected municipalities about CWIS approach. It also intends to give participants an understanding of the FSM value chains so that they can identify constraints and gaps in terms of institutional capacity and resources required to adopt CWIS at municipal level. MAB, CWIS-FSM Support Cell (DPHE), ITN-BUET, SNV, Practical Action, and WaterAid are the conveners of this program.
Mr Dewan Kamal Ahmed, President of MAB, acknowledged the support they are receiving from WaterAid Bangladesh and expressed his joy that, for the first time, such an orientation is taking off under the leadership of MAB. He also committed his time and effort in order to achieve safely managed sanitation throughout the municipalities, starting with the selected ones. He wished to discuss strategy and planning with CWIS-FSM Support cell (DPHE), MAB, ITN-BUET, and WaterAid Bangladesh in coming days.
Mr Md Tahmidul Islam briefly introduced NaBWASHA project and CWIS, while Mr Partha Hefaz Shaikh unfolded the functions and outcomes of CWIS quite beautifully and thanked the participants to be a part of this noble cause in association with WaterAid.
