A case study on community management in water supply in Bangladesh

Lutfa Begum, Independent Consultant

This paper is prepared on behalf of the LGSU, HYSAWA Project, which is a component of the GoB-Danida WSSS Programme-II (2006-2011). The overall goal of the HYSAWA project is related to poverty reduction of poor rural communities where availability and accessibility of safe water is limited. The specific objectives are to improve hygiene behaviour and practices, promote community-led total sanitation, increase coverage of safe water supply and empower local government institutions. The methodology for the case study involved which included secondary data from HYSAWA project implementation manuals, CDF records, meeting reports and related literature in Bangladesh. In edition, a one month field work, covering seven districts of HYSAWA project sites, was also conducted. The study analysis ascertain a number of the key good practices involving community people’s right to water, entry into CDF, human resources, environmental resources and vulnerable people’s empowerment concerns. Moreover, several study lessons drawn from other water and sanitation projects is the importance of community people’s involvement in project activities to reach successful implementation and sustainability. The study finds a number of key good practices involving community people’s right to access of safe water, active participation in CDF activities, Operation & Maintenance (O&M), and vulnerable people’s empowerment concerns. The study also reveal that the community-based participatory approach has led to their empowerment. The community consultation strategies used in project development and implementation. One of the key lessons learned from the project is that easy access to safe drinking water is a single most factor for improving the social and economic life of rural women in Bangladesh. The strong commitment, active participation and quality leadership of the community members has contributed to the successful implementation of the HYSAWA project in a short time.