The allocation for the WASH sector in the 2024–25 fiscal year witnessed a decline of 22.5 percent compared to that of the previous year.
Such a decline is cause for grave concern in a time of climate and urbanization-induced risks in water, sanitation, and hygiene areas, with a spread of WASH risk hotspots in rural and urban areas," said the Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) and WaterAid at a press briefing held at the PPRC office in Dhanmondi, Dhaka on 13 June.
Renowned Economist and Executive Chairman of PPRC, Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman, shared the findings at the session chaired by Partha Hefaz Shaikh, Director of Programmes and Policy Advocacy of WaterAid Bangladesh. Fayazuddin Ahmad, advocate, Policy and Advocacy Lead, WaterAid Bangladesh moderated the discussion.
Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman informed of a 22.5% decline in budget allocation for 2024-25 compared to the previous year. In a time of climate and urbanization induced risks in water, sanitation and hygiene areas, with a spread of WASH risk hotspots in rural and urban areas, such a decline is a cause for grave concern.
He recommended that WASH allocation for 2024-25 should be restored to at least the 2023-24 level.
The budget-tracking exercise also shows persistent allocation disparities between rural and urban as well as between WASAs and city corporations.
However, an effort has been made to address previous disparities among various types of hard-to-reach areas.
A review of project-based allocations is recommended to address these persistent inequities.
Women and People with Disabilities (PWDs) are disproportionately affected by inadequate water and sanitation services, necessitating a diversity-focused approach to provide targeted services to these disadvantaged groups. Urbanization necessitates prioritizing safely managed on-site sanitation services to prevent contamination and ensure healthier environments.
Unlike the MDG-era, the SDG-era necessitates Fecal Sludge Management (FSM)in cities and safely managed on-site sanitation services (SMOSS) in urbanizing rural areas. The government’s flagship program, "My Village My Town," should allocate significant resources to these initiatives. Private sector innovation is crucial for sustainable water resource management and sanitation. Scaling up private engagement in adopting technologies and best practices to tackle new WASH challenges is essential. Building on the success of past campaigns, a large-scale effort supported by political will is required to bridge awareness gaps concerning FSM, sustainable water solutions, and other WASH-related practices.
The post-COVID era has seen a sharp decline in hygiene prioritization, with allocations dropping by 72.8%. Reintegrating hygiene into multi-agency agendas is essential, ensuring a comprehensive approach across various ministries and non-government actors. Enhanced funding, inclusive policies, and collaborative efforts across public and private sectors are vital for sustainable progress.
On the positive side, a new window of climate finance to address WASH concerns has been put in place. 13 out of 25 WASH-relevant ministries are already active in formulating projects to address specific WASH issues. The remaining ministries also need to get on board at speed.
Dr. Rahman urged the government not to weaken the focus on WASH in budget planning and called for a re-energized WASH coalition to break out of the limitations of the MDG-era target-setting and drive WASH 2.0.
