A joint initiative of The Coca-Cola Foundation and WaterAid to improve water security in Bangladesh

The Dhaka Times Desk The Coca-Cola Foundation and WaterAid Bangladesh are working together on the project titled “Promoting Water Replenishment and Wash Services”.

Starting from February 2023 and running for 18 months, the project will work to promote water and sanitation security in Savar and Sunamganj areas. The main objective of the project is to promote WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) services in climate-prone areas and meet water shortages through rainwater conservation.

এই প্রকল্পের আওতায় টেকসই পানির নিরাপত্তার জন্য সেন্টার ফর দ্য রিহ্যাবিলিটেশন অফ দ্য প্যারালাইজড (সিআরপি)’র ক্যাম্পাসে বৃষ্টির পানি ধরে রাখার ব্যবস্থা স্থাপন করা হবে। এছাড়াও, পান করা ছাড়া অন্য প্রয়োজনের ক্ষেত্রে বৃষ্টির পানি ব্যবহার করার জন্য কার্যকর রিসাইক্লিং পদ্ধতি চালু করা হবে। সাভারের সিআরপিতে কাজের পাশাপাশি জুলাই ২০২২-এর বন্যায় ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত সুনামগঞ্জ জেলায়ও সংস্কারের কাজ হাতে নেওয়া হবে। কার্যকর স্যানিটেশন ব্যবস্থাপনার উন্নয়নের উদ্দেশ্যে এই প্রকল্প বাস্তবায়নের জন্য ২টি স্কুল ও ৫টি স্বাস্থ্যসেবা কেন্দ্র বেছে নেওয়া হয়েছে। এই প্রতিষ্ঠানগুলোর মাধ্যমে ৩০,০০০-এর বেশি সুবিধাভোগীর কাছে পৌঁছানো যাবে বলে আশা করা যাচ্ছে।

"Sustainable access to safe water is very important to The Coca-Cola Foundation," said Sadia Madsberg, president of The Coca-Cola Foundation. We are proud to support WaterAid Bangladesh's work to increase access to water in critical locations.”

The project will also build resilience of climate vulnerable communities living in Sunamganj. Besides assisting in the rehabilitation of damaged facilities, it will also aim to develop the capacity of local communities to acquire technical know-how in managing WASH facilities especially during any disaster. The project is expected to reach more than 60,000 direct beneficiaries, with more than 60% adolescents or young women.

Hasin Jahan, Country Director of WaterAid Bangladesh said, “Because of the changing climate, a country like Bangladesh has to face various threats. One of these is water security for the population and the environment. We know that water and sanitation security is critical to building a sustainable Bangladesh and a model of conservation and resilience. Through this joint project of WaterAid and Coca-Cola Bangladesh, it is possible to make a real change for the development of the community. At the same time it will be easier to demonstrate large-scale adaptation solutions for water security and making WASH accessible to the population.”

In 2017, the two organizations jointly worked on a WASH initiative. Its objectives were to develop climate-resilient inclusive sanitation facilities for schools and community clinics, to conduct hygiene campaigns among the population, to increase the knowledge of local stakeholders on WASH adaptation and to use water technology (groundwater recharge systems and reverse osmosis plants) for specific tasks. To increase the availability of safe and affordable drinking water by establishing 27 schools and 400 families have been provided with hand washing facilities through this project, due to which more than 19,000 students have benefited from improved sanitation. Awareness raising among more than 7,000 women and girls has also been done. The project has also improved sanitation facilities for over 53,000 people in the community. News bulletins.

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