Water supply and sanitation in Bangladesh

Water supply and sanitation in Bangladesh
Data
Water coverage (broad definition)87% (in 2019)[1]
Sanitation coverage (broad definition)61% (in 2019)[1]
Continuity of supplyIntermittent[2][3]
Average urban water use (L/person/day)88 (2006–07, average of 11 cities)[4]
Average urban water and sanitation tariff (US$/m3)0.12 (Average of main urban areas in 2007)[5]
0.08 (in Dhaka 2007)[6][7]
Share of household metering18% (2007)[4]
Annual investment in WSSUS$0.55/capita (Average 1993/95–2000/01)[8][9]
Share of self-financing by utilitiesFor rural areas, about one third by users themselves (2006)[10]
Share of tax-financingFor rural areas, about one third by the government (2006)[10]
Share of external financingFor rural areas, about one third by donors (2006)[10]
Institutions
Decentralization to municipalitiesFull
National water and sanitation companyNone
Water and sanitation regulatorNone
Responsibility for policy settingMinistry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives
Sector lawNone
No. of urban service providersMore than 200 municipalities and 2 Water Supply and Sewerage Agencies (for Dhaka and Chittagong)
No. of rural service providersn/a

Bangladesh is faced with multiple water quality and quantity problems (such as salinity, groundwater depletion and natural arsenic contamination of groundwater) along with regular natural disasters, such as cyclones and floods.[11] Available options for providing safe drinking water include tubewells, traditionally dug wells, treatment of surface water, desalination of groundwater with high salinity levels and rainwater harvesting.

Only 56% of the population was estimated to have access to adequate sanitation facilities in 2010.[12] A new approach to improve sanitation coverage in rural areas, called the community-led total sanitation concept, has helped to increase the sanitation coverage.[13]

Bangladesh has a low level of cost recovery due to low tariffs and poor economic efficiency, especially in urban areas where revenues from water sales do not cover operating costs.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Asian Development Bank (January 2004). Water in Asian Cities – Utilities Performance and Civil Society Views (PDF). Manila: Asian development bank (ADB). pp. 38–39. ISBN 971-561-524-4. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  3. ^ Kuroda 2007, p. 34.
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference WSP Bangladesh Benchmarking was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "International Benchmarking Network for Water and Sanitation Utilities:Bangladesh Country Report". Archived from the original on 15 April 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
  6. ^ Dhaka Water Supply & Sewerage Authority. "Tariff of water – Metered connection". Archived from the original on 2 March 2008. Retrieved 25 April 2008.
  7. ^ 1 Bangladeshi Taka = US$0.08223 (10 May 2007); source: oanda.com
  8. ^ Ministry of Water Resources 2001, p. 62.
  9. ^ Bangladeshi population 1995–2001 source: World Development Indicators database: http://devdata.worldbank.org/query/ Archived 3 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Danish Evaluation was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference :02 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ "Bangladesh". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  13. ^ Kar, Kamal; Bongartz, Petra (April 2006). Update on Some Recent Developments in Community-Led Total Sanitation (PDF). Brighton, UK: Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex. ISBN 1-85864-614-6. Retrieved 28 April 2008.