Asia Monitor

UNU e-Newsletter

Issue 18. October 2006
Sustainability Index on Rural Sanitation with Respect to Environmental and Behavioral Changes
M. Tajuddin Sikder1, M. Majibur Rahman1, K. M. Minnatullah2 and M. Khabir Uddin1*

1Department of Environmental Science, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka1342, Bangladesh

2Water and Sanitation Division, World Bank, Dhaka, Bangladesh

*Corresponding author (Email: khabir@juniv.edu)

 

Research Summary

Efficient sanitation is a basic requirement for any rural or civic society and is, in fact, an integral part of a sustainable environment.  To assess the sustainability scenario to rural sanitation in Bangladesh an exploratory study was carried out in Dhamrai thana (subdistrict) of Dhaka District in 2004. A total of 120 respondents were assessed using a semi-structured questionnaire and then a number of methodological strategies including monitoring and reviewing of previous work, data analysis, data presentation, recommendation and interpretation were applied to interpret the results.

 

The results of the present study indicate that while total sanitation and sustainability are improving in the area, the pace of this improvement seems to be very sluggish. However, Bangladesh has achieved remarkable success in tube-well water supply (more than 95 percent of rural people in the study area drink tube-well water, though 70% of them are arsenic contaminated) and the sanitation coverage (use of sanitary latrines by adult population) is more than 70% of the total population in the area who use latrines . It is optimistic that a significant number of people are aware about their health and some 75% sanitary latrines were made within the last four years, most of them are self-funded by the rural inhabitants. The villages are well furnished by sanitary latrines, at least 50% are pit latrines, 20% pour flash and 10% septic tanks. Almost 100% of females use sanitary latrines and half of them are conscious about their food and water sources. Major sources of drinking water and usages of sanitary latrines vary greatly according to the income level of the villagers. It is quite impressive that almost 100% of wealthy villagers rely on the arsenic-free tube-well as the primary sources of drinking water; among them 50% use shallow tube-well while the rest of them use deep tube-wells. Only 60% population of the middle-income group could afford safe tube-wells. Attitudinal changes among the villagers were observed to an amazing degree, which lead them to be conscious about their health, environment and safety. It is a positive omen that awareness, realization and perception about health, hygiene and environmental safety are gradually increasing among the people.  In fact, some 90% people in the low-income group donft get priority on sanitation for lack of money and the rest of the villagers are ill conscious about the environment and safety.  The government wishes to reach total sanitation and sustainability to the rural people by 2010, but the prevailing condition suggests that without adequate financial support and mass literacy, achieving a total sanitation and sustainability in the rural area of Bangladesh by 2010 is a far-reaching matter.

 


             

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