Initiatives for Sustainable Sanitation facility in SIDR-hit areas in Bangladesh

Short description of Project:

On 15 November 2007, Cyclone Sidr struck the south-west coast of Bangladesh with winds up to 240 kilometers per hour. The category 4 storm was accompanied by tidal waves up to five meters high and surges up to 6 meters in some areas, breaching coastal and river embankments, flooding low-lying areas and causing extensive physical destruction. High winds and floods also caused damage to housing, roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. Damage and loss from Cyclone Sidr was concentrated on the southwest coast thirty districts were classified as “severely affected” and a further eight were classified as “moderately affected”. Of the 2.3 million households affected about one million were seriously affected. The number of deaths are estimated at 3,406, with 1000 people were missing, and over 55,000 people sustaining physical injuries. Besides, drinking water was contaminated by debris and many sources were inundated with saline water from tidal surges, and sanitation infrastructure was destroyed.

However, the affected communities do not have much capacity to repair and rehabilitate these structures themselves without some outside support. They will also need assistance with hygiene advice. According to the published Red Crescent and UNICEF reports, sanitation persists as one of the most important problems with many latrines broken and rendered unusable. Thus longer-term planning and support is needed to restore sanitation facilities.

In this context AOSED has taken initiative with the partnership of 4 local NGOs to Rehabilitate sanitation facilities and raise the health and hygiene awareness level in the SIDR struck areas with cooperation of SIMAVI, Netherlands.

Objective of the Project:To improve proper health hygiene practices through capacity development and provide sanitation facilities at household level and ensure active participation LGIs in the SIDR struck Morrelganj and Shoronkhola Upazila of Bagerhat District in the Southwest Bangladesh

Key Activities of the Project:

Baseline Survey and need assessment, Develop educational materials, Awareness campaign at community and schools, Capacity development of community, Union and Upazila level WASH committee, Linkage with LGIs, relevant government agencies, Newly  construction and  repair sanitarylatrineProject Management

Achievement:

20 Union and 2 Upazila level WASH committee more active and played effective roles to address community need with local WASH budget, enhanced capacity of community of proper health hygiene practices, increased sanitation facilities by newly constructing and repairing 1575 sanitary latrine at household level.