WaterAid, Sweden embassy to serve 450,000 urban poor

WASH4UrbanPoor, a five-year project aiming to serve over 450,000 urban poor with water, sanitation and hygiene was launched recently by WaterAid and the Embassy of Sweden, said a statement.

The project, which will work to provide basic water, sanitation and hygiene support to the millions who reside in slums and low-income urban communities across the country, aims to reach out to 450,000 people with sustainable WASH services in slums, schools, health care centres and public places. The project also aims to promote pro-poor local WASH governance in some of the most marginalised areas of the country. 

As part of a continued partnership between the Embassy of Sweden and WaterAid Bangladesh, the project will run till the year 2022, carrying out operations in three cities – Dhaka, Chattogram and Khulna, and three municipalities – Saidpur, Sakhipur and Paikgachha.

The launching event was graced by Roxana Quader, Additional Secretary of the Local Government Division, as Chief Guest. Charlotta Schlyter, the Ambassador of Embassy of Sweden and Engr Taqsem A Khan, Managing Director of Dhaka WASA were also present as Guest of Honour and Special Guest respectively. 

In his welcome address, Md. Khairul Islam, Country Director of WaterAid said, “The project aims to create opportunities to deal with the emerging WASH challenges in the urban context as well as to bring about a positive and sustainable impact on the lives of urban poor through providing them with basic human rights - water and sanitation.” 

Five national NGOs - Dushtha Shasthya Kendra (DSK), Bangladesh Association for Social Advancement (BASA), SKS Foundation, Sajida Foundation and Nabolok will implement this project in different cities of the country with the goal of ensuring urban poor gain access to their basic WASH rights, further working on their health, safety, dignity and economic opportunities.

-rmc//