There’s relief for Baby Begum, 35, who can now access safe and reliable water for her family without walking for miles from their village of Sonatola in southern Bangladesh, thanks to a series of resilience building investments that address climate change and prioritise sustainability and innovation that meets local needs and can be locally maintained and managed.

Photo: Ms. Rumana Akter collecting water from the solar-powered water system. © UNCDF LoGIC Bangladesh 2024

A network of pumps and pipelines bring readily available pure water, treated by a new solar-powered desalination unit, to a series of taps located at key points in the community. The community not only received funds to finance the initiative, they also took part in training on managing and repairing the facilities.

The entire community are benefitting from the results, especially the women who are saving hours of precious time each day and have a new-found confidence that the water they take home will not carry waterborne diseases to their families.

"Now, we can easily collect drinking water and save time fetching water from faraway places," said Ms Begum, whose relief is palpable. Though married, her husband is a day labourer in Saudi Arabia leaving her alone to raise their youngest child. She didn’t like to leave him alone to fetch water, especially after dark.

Photo: Mrs Baby Begum (second from left) and young women from the community going home with water ©UNCDF LoGIC Bangladesh

Like many residents of Bangladesh’s coastal communities, Ms Begum had been struggling to access clean drinking water within a comfortable range of her home due to a toxic mix of climate change related impacts including erratic rainfall, prolonged dry seasons and saline intrusion into traditional water supplies linked to a 2007 cyclone.

The UN Capital Development Fund has worked with the local community to find a sustainable water delivery solution through the Local Government Initiative on Climate Change (LoGIC) project. LoGIC is a multi-donor collaboration that brings together UNCDF with sister UN agency the UN Development Programme, the European Union and the governments of Denmark and Sweden. In partnership with the Government of Bangladesh, UNCDF, through LoGIC, supports the most vulnerable households in some of the country’s most hard to reach communities as they respond and adapt to the impacts of climate change. The US$45 million project is due to end in 2025.

Water shortages in Sonatola village, nestled in the heart of Barguna District in Bangladesh’s southern delta, began to escalate following the devastation wreaked by Cyclone Sidr. The aftermath of Sidr left a lasting impact, disrupting supply of surface and groundwater, and inflicting salinity intrusion on both water and soil. This dire situation forced the community to rely heavily on pond water and salt-contaminated groundwater to meet their consumption needs. Existing handpumps were proving wholly inadequate in meeting the community’s growing needs.

In response, the local authorities of Naltona Union Parishad (UP) collaborated with LoGIC to construct an overhead solar-operated water purification system, coupled with a pipeline infrastructure, ensuring water accessibility for the entire community of Sonatola village.

Photo: Women gathered to take safe drinking water for their families © UNCDF LoGIC Bangladesh 2024

The construction of a strategically located overhead water tank and a network of pipelines have addressed the chronic water scarcity, providing a continuous and reliable water supply. The 16 distribution points equipped with taps brought the convenience of safe water closer to the community, significantly reducing the time and effort required for water collection.

Beyond mere infrastructure, the project prioritized water quality through integrated water treatment measures. Simple filtration and disinfection methods were incorporated to ensure compliance with safety standards, leading to improved health outcomes and reduced waterborne diseases within the community.

The utilization of climate-viable technology, including a 3300-watt solar panel, has not only ensured environmental sustainability but also contributed to the mitigation of traditional energy reliance. The solar-based electrification system, generating 21 KWH electricity per day and 630 KWH per month, is providing reliable water supply as well as showcasing a cost-effective model for introducing renewable energy in off-grid areas.

Photo: The solar-operated water purification system in Sonatola village, Naltona Union, Barguna ©UNCDF LoGIC Bangladesh 2024

This scheme has been constructed with the application of UNCDF’s Performance Based Climate Resilience Grants and co-financing from the community which provided cash inputs worth about 1% of the total costs as well as some US$200 in community savings for a special fund to cover maintenance running costs and repairs.

The Water Treatment Plant (WTP) scheme has been established after a UNCDF-led social and environmental screening with follow-up from the government’s Department of Public Health and Engineering, ensuring that this scheme will not cause any negative social and environmental impact. Overall, the overhead pipeline water supply network balances environmental concerns with offering a sustainable solution for water distribution.

Crucially, the success of this intervention hinges on community participation and empowerment. Training sessions on water conservation and hygiene practices have empowered the villagers to take ownership of the water supply system. The active involvement of the community in establishing an operation and maintenance committee reflects their commitment to long-term sustainability.

Approximately 2400 inhabitants, comprising 1075 men and 975 women - as well as children - now enjoy a daily supply of 6,000 liters of safe, clean water.

Omar Mollick, community resident, grandfather and local farmer said, "Availability of safe drinking water was a dream but now it is a reality,” adding that he has lived for many years in the area and seen the toll poor water took on the community – including on their health. Noting that his own family and neighbours have enjoyed better health since the water investment, he added: “Waterborne diseases have been reduced.”

Find out more about LoCAL here

Sign up to our newsletter