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Hard-to-reach Areas

Natural disasters hamper access to safe water

Speakers tell consultation meeting

Staff Correspondent
Increased frequency of natural disasters caused by global climate change is creating a whole new level of crisis and challenges in terms of providing safe water and sanitation facilities, speakers at a consultation meeting said yesterday.
The people of char islands, haor areas, offshore islands, hill tracts and the tea gardens are especially vulnerable. It becomes difficult to provide basic facilities like water and sanitation to the hard-to-reach areas because of the complex geo-physical and livelihood pattern of the areas, theyadded.
The tea garden workers are especially vulnerable for their captive isolated situation caused by administrative barriers, they said. NGO Forum organised the ‘Stakeholders consultation on searching the ways of safe water and sanitation facilities for the hard-to-reach' at its conference hall in the city.
SMA Rashid, executive director of NGO Forum, said the increased frequency of cyclone is increasing salinity in the coastal belt, contaminating the fresh water sources. Besides, safe water sources are also going under water during floods, increasing the risk of water-borne diseases.
On the other hand, deforestation. drying up of natural water sources, unplanned dam and cultivation, lack of administrative support and communication problem are the major obstacles to the development ofsafe water and sanitation facilities in hilly areas, he said.
Rasheda K Chowdhury, former adviser to the caretaker government, said special communities have their own needs, normsand culture. "We have to listen to what the stakeholders have to say."
Stressing the need to involve the private sector, she said, mobile phones have reached a long way in the grassroots level. Its vast network can be used for advocacy.
Mark Ellery, country team leader of World Bank Water and Sanitation Programme, South Asia, said a coordinated response is needed to address the multiple dimension of the problem.
He emphasised the role of local government who has enormous influencing authorities over the people of their locality.
The speakers also suggested that integrated approach is necessary to address the issue.
Prof Dr M Feroze Ahmed, Jan Moller Hansen, deputy head of mission, embassy of Denmark, Shahjahan Ali Mollah, joint secretary, LGRD ministry, Philip Gain, general secretary of Society for Environment and Human Development, Mahmudul Kabir, country director ofTerre Des Hommes-Netherlands, Pr ash an ta Tri pu ra of U ND P, D r Iftekhar Hossain of Unicef, Prof Dr Md Mujibur Rahman, and Mozaharul Alam, research fellow, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, also spoke.