Water & Sanitation Issues Bangladesh Flood Emergency

1. Water & Sanitation Sector Working Group 13th September 2004 Water & Sanitation Issues Bangladesh Flood Emergency

2. Flood – immediate impact on water & sanitation • 200,000 GoB tubewells plus maybe 1.8 million private wells underwater • Other water sources (ringwells, PSFs, underground RWH tanks, etc.) also out of action • Urban areas, esp. Dhaka – contamination through leaking pipelines & underground tanks, major city drainage problems, sewerage system inoperable, mixing of storm water & sewage • Sanitation facilities under water, collapsed – maybe 3 million latrines affected • Affected population with limited access to safe water and sanitary method for excreta disposal, especially in flood shelters • Major risks of diarrhoea outbreaks, possible major epidemic, such as cholera

3. Initial response to flood • GoB main response through DPHE – 14,252 tubewells raised, 93,790 tubewells disinfected, 824 new tubewells & 2,185 latrines installed in flood shelters. Financial support from UNICEF • DWASA maintained water supply in Dhaka as far as possible, including making free water available for bulk supply by NGOs (DSK, CARE, etc.) for distribution in slum areas • WPTs, bleaching powder provided by several agencies (UNICEF, WHO, UNFPA, NGO Forum) • NGO response in project areas by NGO Forum, CARE, WaterAid partners, etc.

4. Problems encountered • WPT was not available in country – needed importing, process was slow • Access to flood affected areas to carry out disinfection, distribute WPT was difficult due to damaged transport system • Limited sanitation solutions in flood-affected areas. With concentration of populations in shelters, available land and buildings, few available latrines rapidly filled, plus open defecation inevitably occurred. • Water & sanitation facilities not planned for in many flood shelters, so had to be hurriedly installed once flood had hit • Too few trained tubewell mechanics

11. Post-flood response – short term • Continue disinfection programme for tubewells, including training of emergency tubewell mechanics. • Assessment of flood damage – underway at present, including water quality analysis with ICDDRB • Repairs to damaged water supply systems – tubewell repair and replacement, clean-up & repair of other technologies, esp. in arsenic affected areas. Clean-up of urban pipelines & repairs to damaged pumping systems • Replacement of damaged household latrines • Environmental clean-up

12. Post-flood response – longer term • Mapping of shelter locations • Installation of improved water & sanitation facilities at suitable flood shelter locations – raised tubewells, RWH tanks, raised latrines • Review standard designs of tubewell platforms, latrines, etc., in light of floods • Review designs for, & choice of, safe water options in arsenic-affected flood-prone areas • Review emergency preparedness on annual basis, including stocks of emergency supply items such as WPT, water tanks, jerry cans, mini treatment plants etc. • Dhaka city – urgent need for improved urban planning and implementation, especially on drainage & sewerage

13. Organisation of post-flood activities • UNICEF focal agency for UN Flash Appeal – expected to receive approx $5 million (DFID, Japan, German Natcom) • Key partners – DPHE, DWASA, NGO Forum, DSK (other NGOs under coordination of NGO Forum) • DPHE has prepared PCP for approx. $50 million