Business Desk : dhakamirror.com
WaterAid Bangladesh, in partnership with the Swedish embassy has launched the second phase of their “WASH for Urban Poor (WASH4UP) project” aiming at improving the environmental health and resilience of certain urban regions in Bangladesh.
Maria Stridsman, deputy head of mission of the Swedish embassy, and Hasin Jahan, WaterAid’s country director in Bangladesh, signed the project agreement on behalf of their respective organisations on 3 May at the Embassy of Sweden in the capital.
The three-year project will be implemented in the districts of Dhaka, Chattogram and Khulna, and in Khulna’s Paikgachha upazila, Tangail’s Sakhipur upazila, and Nilphamari’s Saidpur upazila with a focus on institutionalising the best practices already established in previous years.
The project will have a significant impact on the lives of people living in vulnerable condition, especially women. Women often bear the burden of fetching water for extended periods, which affects their health and well-being. The project aims to ensure that all people, especially the most vulnerable, have equitable access to essential services.
The WASH4UP-Phase II project will benefit 50,000 people who will gain access to safe water, and 46,000 people who will get access to improved sanitation facilities. Additionally, 90,000 people will be motivated to change their hygiene behaviour.
Furthermore, the project will have a significant impact on commuters, with 9,500,000 users of public sanitation facilities, and 18,000 sanitation workers, waste workers, and their community members gaining access to better health services. Additionally, 15,000 people will receive safely managed sanitation services through faecal sludge treatment plant (FSTP), and 16,500 people will receive door-to-door solid waste management support.
Speaking about the project, WaterAid’s Hasin Jahan said, “We are delighted to extend our collaborative efforts with the Embassy of Sweden for the second phase of the WASH4UP project in Bangladesh. Our efforts to improve WASH facilities and community awareness have already shown significant impact, and we are committed to building on this progress to further improve the lives of people in Bangladesh”.
Maria Stridsman of the Swedish embassy said, “We are pleased that the second phase of the WASH4UP project will continue to prioritise the needs of vulnerable people, including women who often bear the burden of fetching water for extended periods.” – Press release
