Access to clean water in Bangladesh is a constant struggle, especially for those living in rural, often poverty-stricken areas. More than 70 million people, 41% of the population, do not have access to safely managed drinking water. Since 2015, urban water access has improved by more than 50%, yet rural access has slightly declined, disproportionately affecting indigenous communities. This also greatly affects women and girls, who are responsible for nearly 90% of water collection, as the time spent retrieving water inhibits their ability to work or earn an education. Contaminated water also increases the risk of skin infection and disease, which leads to higher medical costs. Because of this, clean water access is imperative in any effort to reduce poverty.

Bridging the Gap

Rural communities have taken proactive steps in their pursuit of clean water. Residents of remote villages in hilly or mountainous areas sometimes travel for hours searching for water. Often, the stream or well they find is contaminated or dried up. To fill their pots, they must sit in a hole and wait for the water to trickle in, which can take upwards of an hour. Additionally, one pot may not last an entire day, so more water must be collected in the evening. Yet in some areas, local residents, with help from outside aid, have built their own piping systems. These systems decrease the risk, time and effort associated with accessing clean water in Bangladesh.

Mong Pa Khai Para Village

In Mong Pa Khai Para village, located in Bandarban in southeast Bangladesh, community members built their own piping system, which provided safely managed water to 141 households. Led by women forming the Village Development Organization, the community contributed about 15% of the project cost and helped transport materials and install water tanks during construction. The system is situated atop a three-story school building, has a deep borehole with a capacity of 10,000 liters and will provide water directly to the village through an underground pipe network. The BRAC Integrated Development program helped finance and build the system. Already, the village has formed a committee to decide how to effectively maintain it.

Kalishakhali Village

In Kalishakhali village, Community Partners International assisted residents in building a safe water network in 2024. Kalishakhali is located in the Barisal District, where more than a quarter of the population lives in poverty. The system contains a deep tube well where water is drawn using a pump, and is then stored in a water tank sitting on a raised platform. Households pay a small monthly fee for electricity and maintenance, and any extra funds are used to assist in building more systems in surrounding areas. The project provided more than 100 households with safe access to water, and gave residents more time for work and family life.

Looking Ahead

Despite significant aid efforts, such as the more than $1 billion Water.org has mobilized for clean water in Bangladesh, safe access remains a daily struggle for many Bangladeshi citizens. As seen in Kalishakhali and Mong Pa Khai Para, rural villages are desperate for support and willing to assist in the building of clean water systems. Clean water is a building block toward poverty reduction, as it provides people the health and time necessary to improve their circumstances. The transformation of lives in Bangladesh continues through the building of these networks.

– Joshua P Megson

Joshua is based in Albemarle, NC, USA and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons