Seventh South Asian Conference on Sanitation
(SACOSAN-VII)
COUNTRY PAPER
BANGLADESH
10 – 14 April 2018
Islamabad, Pakistan
Table of Contents
1.Introduction
1.1Status of sanitation and progress in the country related to SDGs
1.2 Development and Planning Framework
2.Policies and Strategies
3.Institutional Arrangements
3.1 Basic system and structure of governance in the country
4.Capacity Development
5.Planning, Monitoring and Review
5.1 WASH Bangladesh sector information systems
5.1 Sectoral Issues
5.2 Action points for Sector Coordination and Monitoring
6.Sector Financing
7.Planned Actions for 2018-2020
List of Abbreviations
ADP / Annual Development ProgrammeBBS / Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics
BDHS / Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey
DPHE / Department of Public Health Engineering
FSM / Faecal Sludge Management
GDP / Gross Domestic Production
GLAAS / Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-Water
GNI / Gross National Income
JMP / Joint Monitoring Programme
LCG / Local Consultative Group
LGD / Local Government Division
LGED / Local Government Engineering Department
LGI / Local Government Institutions (e.g. Union Parishad, Pourashava)
MDG / Millennium Development Goals
MICS / Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey
MoLGRDC / Ministry of Local Government Rural Development & Cooperatives
MTBF / Medium Term Budget Framework
NFWSS / National Forum for Water Supply and Sanitation
NGO / Non-Governmental Organisation
NILG / National Institute of Local Governance
PSU / Policy Support Unit
PSB / Policy Support Branch
SDP / Sector Development Plan
SDG / Sustainable Development Goals
SIP / Sector Investment Plan
SIS / Sector Information System
WASA / Water Supply and Sanitation Authority
WASH / Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene
WSS / Water supply and sanitation
1.Introduction
Bangladesh emerged as an independent and sovereign country in 1971.It is one of the largest deltas of the world –with a total area of 147,570 sq. kilometres and population of 161.75 million (Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics), the population density of the country is about 1,096 people per sq. kilometer (BBS, 2017).
Bangladesh has a long coastline with Bay of Bengal in the south, and borders with India in the east, west and north, and with Myanmar in the east. It has 8 administrative divisions, 64 districts, 492 sub-districts (Upazilas), 4,550 Union Parishads, 12 City Corporations and 329 Paurashavas (municipalities). Nearly 72% of the country's population lives in rural areas while 34% live in urban settings. The current GDP growth rate is 7.28%, with GDP and GNI per capita reaching USD 1,544 and USD 1,610, respectively in 2016-17 (BBS, 2017).
Bangladesh’s development scenario, particularly health, education, hunger and poverty levels, have been improving gradually. These areas have been marked for special attention by the government, and accordingly, these are expected to be emphasised upcoming eighth Five Year Plan, and allocation of fund in these sectors has increased in the current fiscal year.
1.1Status of sanitation and progress in the country related to SDGs
Nationally,47% of people use basic sanitation, 22% use shared toilet, 31% use unimproved sanitation and there is no open defecation, according to the JMP, 2017 report. In rural areas, 43% people use basic sanitation, 19% use shared toilet, and 38% use unimproved sanitation. In urban areas, 54% of people use basic sanitation, 29% use shared toilets, and 18% use unimproved sanitation. Although there is a significant gap between rural and urban coverage of basic sanitation, the country is progressing and Bangladesh has successfully eliminated open defecation (JMP, 2017).
According to the JMP report, the pit emptying status of the country is concerning, with 74% of on-site sanitation facilities never having been emptied in rural areas. In urban areas, only Dhaka city has 20% sewerage coverage. However, faecal sludge management (FSM) is now widely acknowledged as a major challenge for the sector and the country, and Department of Public Health (DPHE) and Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) have taken the initiative to develop a master plan to deal with FSM.
With regard to hygiene, 40% of people nationally have a basic handwashing facility, 45% have a limited facility (without water or soap) and 15% have no facilities. Disaggregating by area,31% of people in rural areas have a basic hand washing facility, 51% of people have a limited facility and 18% of people have no facilities. In urban areas, 58% of people have a basic hand washing facility, 32% have a limited facility and 10% have no facilities. A similar disparity between rural and urban areas, as in the case of sanitation, is also apparent in the case of basic hand washing coverage,and overall progress regarding hand washing practice is not satisfactory. Menstrual hygiene management is improving, but progress is still slow (JMP 2017). Government of Bangladesh has prepared an action plan to meet the target of SDG 6, and prioritised investment in safe sanitation including FSM and safe water supply services.
1.2 Development and Planning Framework
In 2011, the government revised the Sector Development Program and prepared the Sector Development Plan for 15 years (FY 2011-25) for the water and sanitation sector. This path-breaking initiative, undertaken by LGD, sought to sketch a bottom-up road map for providing safe drinking water and sanitation for all in a coordinated manner by all the sector stakeholders.
The development framework is further supported by five year-long national development plans, where development budget including administrative and recurring expenses are detailed out. The recent initiative in this regard is the Seventh Five‐Year Plan (FY 2016‐20). The proposed plan has set specific target related to water and sanitation which are:
- Safe drinking water to be made available for all urban population.
- Safe drinking water to be made available for all rural population
- Proportion of urban population with access to sanitary latrines to be increased to 100 percent.
- Proportion of rural population with access to sanitary latrines to be raised to 90 percent.
Furthermore, the Medium-Term Budget Framework (MTBF) approach was introduced in 2005-06 to ensure optimum utilisation of resources consistent with the strategic goals and objectives of the government. Though the MTBF is being prepared every year, and provides a three‐year budget envelope, it is expected to be extended to five years to make it consistent with the Five‐Year Plan. Presently, 71 ministries and divisions including the LGD prepare their Annual Development Programmes (ADPs) under MTBF. The government has also adopted a long‐term vision for the development of the country that is reflected in the long‐term Perspective Plan (2010‐21). The Perspective Plan sets the goals for the future and draws the course of action to achieve these goals by 2021, to coincide with the Golden Jubilee of the Independence of Bangladesh.
2.Policies and Strategies
All legal instruments of the country are governed by the Constitution. Article 18(1) of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh states that, “The state shall regard the raising of the level of nutrition and the improvement of public health as among its primary duties…”. All activities of the water supply and sanitation (WSS) sector are thus primarily aimed at improvement of public health and the environment. Under the Water Supply and Sewerage Act 1996, WASAs have been established in four big cities, with the mandate of ensuring water supply and sewerage services within the cities. The Local Government Acts (Paurashava, City Corporations, Upazila Parishad and Union Parishad) of 2009 guide the activities of the WSS sector at the local level. The Local Government Division has approved the Water Supply and Sanitation Strategy 2014, which provides strategic guidance on reaching sanitation targets. The Water Act 2013 has been enacted to make provisions for integrated, development, management, abstraction, distribution, use, protection and conservation of water resources.
The National Policy for Safe Water Supply and Sanitation 1998 was the major guiding document of the water supply and sanitation (WSS) sector available until 2003. Policy documents such as the National Sanitation Strategy 2005, the Pro-Poor Strategy 2005, the Sector Development Plan (2011-2025), the National Hygiene Promotion Strategy 2012, the National Strategy for Water and Sanitation in Hard to Reach Areas Bangladesh 2012, the National Strategy for Water and Sanitation 2014 and others provide common frameworks to support programme planning.
New policies and documents continue to build on the foundation created by existing plans. The issue of WASH in education is receiving more attention, and in 2018, the primary school curriculum for grades 3, 4, and 5 integrated lessons for children on the importance of sanitation and personal hygiene. These lessons were drafted following extensive discussions and consultations among sector professionals from both government and non-governmental organisations.
The issue of girls’ education more specifically has also gained attraction, with girls’ rights being considered to an increasing extent when considering WASH. In June 2015, the Government of Bangladesh issued a circular on school sanitation that instructs secondary education institutions to deal with menstrual hygiene needs of school-going girls.
Faecal sludge management (FSM) has been identified by stakeholders as a major challenge for the country – one that could potentially hinder achievement of the Goal 6.2. To tackle the emerging challenges for sanitation sector in Bangladesh, the Institutional and Regulatory Framework for Faecal Sludge Management (IRF-FSM) has been published and disseminated by the Policy Support Branch of the Local Government Division (LGD) under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives in 2017. This Institutional and Regulatory Framework covers on-site sanitation facilities and areas served by such facilities, as well as areas to be served by sewer networks and FSM services jointly. The framework has four distinct parts: mega-city Dhaka, city corporations, Paurashavas and rural areas. In each part, the framework identifies the functional ways and means of implementing FSM services, and the related roles and responsibilities of different institutions and stakeholders. The institutional roles and responsibilities specified in this framework are aligned with existing acts and policies of the country, and therefore provides relevant authorities with clear guidance on how to address FSM as part of their ongoing work.
3.Institutional Arrangements
3.1 Basic system and structure of governance in the country
The statutory responsibility for the sanitation sector is vested in Local Government Division (LGD) of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (MoLGRD&C). Within this Ministry, the LGD shares the responsibility of policy decisions, sectoral allocation and funding, as well as project appraisals, approval, evaluation and monitoring, with the Planning Commission and the Ministry of Finance. LGD is also responsible for the administrative control of the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE), Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Water Supply and Sanitation Authorities (WASAs) and local government institutions (LGls). A Sanitation Secretariat, established within the LGD, is the national focal point to guide overall sanitation improvement programmes in the country. Coordination at the national level between government agencies, NGOs, development partners and the private sector is done through the National Forum for Water Supply and Sanitation (NFWSS), established by the LGD. Coordination at the local level is undertaken by Water Supply and Sanitation Committees (WatSan Committees) established in the LGIs. The sector is supported by multilateral agencies, development partners, international and national NGOs, private sectors and informal groups.
The Sector Development Plan (2011-2025) notes that the project-based nature of most interventions is the primary limiting factor to the scaling-up of successful interventions. In an attempt to address this key challenge, the Government of Bangladesh, with the support of DANIDA, established and operated a Policy Support Unit (PSU) project tasked with implementing the SDP in relation to sectoral policy development and policy coordination. Related to this, twelve thematic groups were established to enhance sectoral coordination and the use of common approaches and communication. The Policy Support Unit (PSU) project was completed in 2016, and based on the successes and lessons learnt, the Government of Bangladesh has recently established a Policy Support Branch (PSB) in the Water Supply Wing of LGD. The PSB is tasked with facilitating sectoral coordination and completion of some of the projects started by the PSU. As part of its strategic upstream support to the sector, UNICEF is the key donor for supporting PSB to harness the required political will, generate technical and policy level stakeholder buy-in, re-establish and operationalise defunct thematic groups and development, and mobilise resources and provide technical support for the implementation of sector-wide strategies and approaches.
4.Capacity Development
The Sector Development Plan strongly emphasises the capacity building of state institutions (DPHE, LGED, WASA) andlocal government institutions in both urban and rural areas, as well as private sector and NGOs. A capacity needs assessment was carried out, which found several areas for improvement, including technical, financial, social, environmental and institutional aspects.
The Policy Support Branch has taken a number of initiatives to develop the capacity of mayors of urban LGIs on the issue of safe sanitation and dealing with safe disposal of sludge.
WASHBAT (WASH Bottleneck Analysis) tools have also been introduced recently to identify and analyse bottleneck in WASH sector. A wide range of organisations including public, academic institutions and development partners, private sector has been involved in the process, and the exercise is meant to be started shortly.
Research and development (R&D) have been prioritised within DPHE and LGED to identify innovative and appropriate technologies, and build operation and managementmodels and effective community engagement for cost-effective and efficient WASH services. ITN-BUET is currently acting as knowledge hub to provide sectoral and sub-sectoral (WASH) training and orientation. The Government of Bangladesh has also reformed the Local Consultative Groups (LCGs) – associations of bilateral and multilateral donors working in Bangladesh with participation of other stakeholders, including government agencies and the NGOs – and taken initiatives forrestructuring and revitalizing of different thematic groups of WASH sector. Overall, knowledge and information on the WASH sector are being gathered, reviewed, and updated throughout the country, and linked with global processes such as JMP, MICS, GLAAS etc.
5.Planning, Monitoring and Review
In line with the high importance given by the government to the preparation and implementation of the SDGs, the LGDhas been given the responsibility of facilitating, coordinating and monitoring the SDG WASH indicators. The institutional arrangements and the modalities of SDG 6.1 and 6.2 implementation have been prepared, and key activities have been identified in these initial stages. These activities include establishing the acts and regulation regime, improving policies and strategies, and setting up a coordination mechanism. A road map for the SDG implementation schedule has also been prepared.
According to National Policy for Safe Water Supply and Sanitation (NPSWSS) 1998, the NFWSS is responsible for coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the sector activities. In addition, there is a National Sanitation Task Force, chaired by the Secretary of the LGD. It was established in mid-2004 to achieve the national goal of 100 percent sanitation by 2010. The task force has three sub-committees, including a sub-committee for monitoring the action plan to ensure sanitation for all by the revised 2013 deadline. However, due to differences in the definition of sanitation coverage between the Joint Monitoring Program (JMP) report of UNICEF and World Health Organization (the official UN agencies for tracking global achievement of MDGs/SDGs) and the National Sanitation Secretariat (housed in DPHE) report, an independent Monitoring and Evaluation Committee with BUET as its convener has been established. It needs to be highlighted here that according to the National Sanitation Strategy 2005, the National Sanitation Secretariat should determine the monitoring mechanism and parameters, and verify the data received from all levels (i.e. from ward to city to national). At local level, the focal institution is the union WatSan committee chaired by the Union Parishad Chairman. The Chairman chairs a committee on monitoring and evaluation of the Pro-Poor Strategy for Water and Sanitation Sector, whereby the ward WatSan committees are required to submit the minutes of the monthly meetings regarding the current WatSan situation to the Union Parishads, with special focus on the situation of the extreme poor.
Furthermore, under the umbrella of the Local Consultative Group (LCG), a sub-group for water and sanitation shares information and experiences, discusses issues and challenges, coordinates, monitors and harmonises sector development activities.