SAFE drinking water insecurity is a global issue, particularly severe in Bangladesh鈥檚 coastal regions. Frequent cyclones, storm surges, breached embankments, coastal flooding, and rising salinity levels contribute to the contamination of both groundwater and surface water sources. According to the Bangladesh Environment and Development Society report, 73 per cent of coastal residents lack consistent access to safe drinking water due to rising salinity levels. This crisis becomes particularly severe during the dry season when water scarcity reaches its peak. Despite numerous initiatives aimed at addressing this crisis, millions of coastal residents continue to suffer from safe drinking water insecurity.
In early October, we visited Bagali union in Koyra Upazila, Khulna district, to listen to people鈥檚 struggles with water insecurity. One of them was Surma Roy (a pseudonym), a 42-year-old mother of three children. She walks five kilometres daily to a deep tubewell, the only functional source of safe drinking water in her area. It takes her four hours to collect two pitchers, each containing 15 to 20 litres, just enough to meet the daily needs of her five-member family. Surma鈥檚 story captures not only the hardships of coastal life but also emphasises the persistent barriers to achieving sustainable water solutions in regions like Koyra.
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Reasons for failure: missteps and missed opportunities
OUR observations revealed a familiar list of water systems installed in these villages: solar-powered pond sand filters, traditional PSFs, hand-pumped tube wells, ultra-filtration units, desalination plants, and rooftop rainwater harvesting systems. While some systems worked, many were broken or barely functional. Of the 15 PSFs we saw, only two were in working order; the rest had succumbed to neglect or damage.
One of the clearest reasons for failure echoed across our conversations with locals is poor site selection. In some cases, decisions to build new water plants were not based on proper needs assessments but were influenced by personal connections, with water facilities sometimes set up in areas where people already had access to alternatives. This led to underutilisation of the newly installed facilities while other communities, desperate for safe drinking water, were left empty-handed.
Pricing policies have also posed a major barrier. While technologies like desalination plants and ultra-filtration units offer clean water, they come at a cost too high for most coastal families to bear. In contrast, rainwater harvesting reservoirs can be seasonally affordable, and solar-powered PSFs offer free water, with only community contributions required for maintenance costs. However, the lack of a unified pricing model has created a mismatch between cost and community needs, leaving some water facilities underused while villagers continue to rely on untreated, contaminated sources.
Almost every villager we met expressed frustration over the upkeep of water systems. From solar-powered PSFs to tube wells, the lack of clear maintenance responsibilities has led to frequent equipment breakdowns. In many cases, no sustainable maintenance plans were put in place, meaning there was no regular monitoring, and repairs were delayed or neglected. Surma, like many others, feels the bitter sting of unkept promises, watching as malfunctioning water sources remain unusable while her community waits for help that may never come.
Ironically, there鈥檚 no lack of financial support for these projects. International and local donors, including USAID, the Green Climate Fund, Akij Trust, and the Social Development Foundation, have poured resources into establishing these facilities. Yet, without sustainable funding models for ongoing repairs, this support is quickly exhausted, leaving communities with broken equipment and unmet needs. Water accessibility falls short when projects stop at installation, with no assurance of long-term reliability.
Throughout our field visit, we noticed another recurring issue: a sense of disconnection between the community and the water facilities they were supposed to rely on. Many residents, particularly women, told us they were not consulted about the location or type of water systems being installed. As a result, they often don鈥檛 feel ownership or have the knowledge to maintain these systems when they break down. Although solar-powered PSFs, for instance, have shown potential, manually operated PSFs often break down because local people lack the skills to repair them.
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Future steps in building resilient water solutions
TO ENSURE that communities like Bagali Union can secure safe drinking water in the long term, a different approach is needed: one that recognises the lessons learnt from these missteps. First, local community involvement must be ensured in every project. Residents should be engaged in planning, implementation, and, most importantly, the maintenance of water systems. Involving communities fosters ownership and empowers locals to address technical problems as they arise.
Second, any effective water solution must be built to withstand the environmental conditions in coastal Bangladesh. Rainwater harvesting systems and solar-powered filtration units can be scaled in areas where traditional water sources fail. These solutions are simple yet powerful, as they align with local resources and skill levels.
Water financing models also need restructuring to ensure that these projects remain sustainable. Local governments, NGOs, and the private sector could collaborate to provide maintenance funds, community-managed accounts, or subsidies for low-income households. If support from international support could extend beyond initial installation, funding ongoing maintenance, coastal communities might finally experience a steady supply of safe water.
Lastly, water resource management must reflect the lives of those it intends to serve. Gender disparities, for example, place a disproportionate burden on women like Surma, who shoulder the responsibility of collecting water. Addressing the needs of all community members will ensure systems are inclusive and can support all residents equitably.
Despite years of water initiatives, the story in Bagali Union reveals that without local involvement, climate-resilient solutions, and sustainable funding, families continue to struggle. The vision of safe drinking water for all in coastal Bangladesh remains within reach if we can learn from past failures and commit to a holistic, community-centred approach.
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Sufiya Khatun is pursuing her MSc in water resources development at the Institute of Water and Flood Management, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. Mohibbullah is an environmental economist and is working at Innovision Consulting. Both are from the coastal town of Koyra.