Realising SDG 6 hinges on mainstreaming WASH and WASH financing

Posted by
Clement Serao
on
20 March 2019
In
Bangladesh
Press Con Cover

At a joint press conference held by WaterAid, UNICEF, PPRC, FANSA, WSSCC,B, FSM Network, Sanitation and Water for All, and WASH Alliance, speakers shared how progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) would be hindered without ensuring proper and adequate allocation for SDG 6 in the upcoming National Budget for 2019-2020. 
According to an analysis by Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC), supported by WaterAid and UNICEF, the government has made commendable progress on WASH financing, with allocations having risen to Taka 68.49 billion in 2018-19 from Taka 43.81 billion in 2010-11. However, the relative growth in WASH allocation over the last eight years is only 56.31% - a disproportionately low figure compared to the much bigger growth of GDP, ADP and the national budget during this time. 

Moreover, the analysis also shows geographical inequality in WASH allocation, with cities and towns receiving most of the funding at the expense of rural, char, hilly and coastal areas, despite acute needs. 

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Eminent Economist and Chairman of PPRC, Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman, also stated that WASH expenditure trends indicate under-utilisation of allocation, signalling a need for improved capacity and monitoring of expenditure. Alongside, speakers emphasised the need to close the financing gap for meeting SDG 6 indicators and targets, especially given emerging challenges and higher service standards expected in the SDG era.   

Concluding the press conference, the WASH sector networks jointly put forward the following recommendations:

  • Enhance rural and secondary towns’ allocations through DPHE;

  • Ensure WASH allocations for un-funded city corporations and hard-to-reach areas;

  • Ensure priority focus on FSM, hygiene and awareness-building in sub-sectoral allocations

  • Overcome HR deficits and strengthen work culture in implementing agencies

  • Establish WASH budget utilisation monitoring unit in Ministry of Finance to under Public Money and Budget Management Act, 2009

  • Build policy awareness on the complexity of the SDG 6 challenge 

  • Reduce financing gap for WASH in order to realise SDG 6 targets 

The analysis report on WASH budget allocation and expenditure 2017-18 can be downloaded at: http://bit.ly/FY17-18 and WASH budget allocation 2018-19 downloaded: http://bit.ly/FY18-19Allocations 
 

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