BD Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project

closed

The objective of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project for Bangladesh is to: (a) increase provision of safe water supply and hygienic sanitation in the rural areas of Bangladesh, where shallow aquifers are highly contaminated by arsenic and other pollutants such as salinity, iron, and bacterial pathogens; and (b) facilitate early emergency response. There are five components to the project, the first component being rural piped water supply schemes. This component will be implemented in approximately 125 locations and is intended to further develop the public-private participation model for the construction and management of rural piped water schemes in areas where shallow tube-wells are highly affected by arsenic contamination, salinity, iron, and a low water table. The second component is the rural non-piped water supply. This component builds on the successful experience of non-piped rural water supply schemes implemented under the Bangladesh Water Supply Program Project (BWSPP) and the Bangladesh Arsenic Mitigation Water Supply Project (BAMWSP). The component will target unions with severe shortages of safe water supplies, and those with water quality problems, that is, shallow aquifer contamination with a population density that may preclude private sector interest in the provision of piped water supply. The third component is the capacity strengthening and technical assistance. This component will provide technical assistance and support in a number of areas to improve implementation activities. It also will build a knowledge base by carrying out analytical reviews and assessments of the institutional framework for service provision schemes/models supported by the project. The fourth component is the project management and support. Finally, the fifth component is the contingency for disaster risk response. This component will support preparedness and rapid response to disaster, emergency, and/or catastrophic events, as needed. The provisional zero cost for this component will allow for rapid reallocation of credit proceeds from other components under streamlined procurement and disbursement procedures.