Bangladesh : Dhaka Water Supply and Sanitation

Water and other urban infrastructure and services / Urban water supply

The TA will prepare a project that is suitable for ADB financing. The Project will be designed to provide a sustainable and safe water supply facilities in Dhaka to (i) improve health conditions and introduce public health and hygiene concepts, (ii) enhance the standard of living and quality of life of households, and (iii) accelerate industrial and commercial development. The improvements in physical facilities will be complemented with institutional development, focused on improving operational efficiencies, reducing wastage, strengthening cost recovery and financial management, and institutionalizing the community participation approach to water supply facilities to ensure the long-term sustainability of the benefits. The TA will critically review the performance of the earlier projects implemented by Dhaka WASA and incorporate the lessons leaned in the ensuing project.

The TA will include:

(i) Updating of the master plan of the water supply system for Dhaka. This will include review of existing and projected water demand, study and performance of existing resources, and development of potential surface water sources and new groundwater fields, rehabilitation of existing tube wells, and, rehabilitation and expansion of water supply distribution network for improvements in coverage and service levels. The TA will undertake investigation, review of earlier studies, detailed designs of selected components, and review of private sector participation in the development/management of various components of the project; and

(ii) Improvements in operational efficiency through institutional development and improved management of Dhaka WASA.

The National Poverty Reduction Strategy (NPRS) emphasized the need for safe water. One of the seven point strategic agenda of the NPRS is water and sanitation. The goal of NPRS is to reduce the number of people who do not have access to safe water (26%) by half in 2006 and to reduce water pollution. One of the supporting strategies is effective delivery of services that identifies public ? private partnership as an important means. Improvement of water supply infrastructure in urban areas and ensuring quality services have been identified as prerequisite for hygiene and nutrition and contributing factors towards poverty reduction by reducing health risks and creating employment. The NPRS also envisages introduction of water supply projects for all urban areas and water quality monitoring and surveillance. The water supply programs need to focus on provision of basic services as well as participation of private and public sectors in collaboration with strengthened local government institutions.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has been supporting the Government's efforts to ensure safe water supply to the urban population. ADB has supported six development projects for secondary towns in Bangladesh since the 1980s. The proposed technical assistance project to be implemented by DWASA is expected to design a project to help find short, medium and long term improvement in the water supply situation in Dhaka metropolitan city area, preparation of a master plan and designing appropriate interventions through private public partnership in ensuring quality services and access of the poor to safe water. Ways of partnership with civil society, NGOs, and community-based organizations will be assessed to significantly contribute to reducing urban poverty and consolidate the gains made so far in the area.