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• The National Baseline Survey, 2003
• The Plan Of Action
  • Plan of Action based on Baseline Survey and other Researches
    • The Sanitation Coverage:
    • The Geographical Spread of Sanitation Coverage:
    • The Best & Worst areas of Coverage:
    • Reasons for Not Having Latrine: Determination of result-oriented strategies:
    • Lack of money:
    • Lack of Awareness:

 

The National Baseline Survey, 2003

 
The government launched a nationwide baseline survey under leadership of Local Government Division of Ministry of Local Government Rural Development & Cooperatives to understand the Current status of Sanitation Coverage and Reasons for Non-coverage for designing interventions to achieve the target of Community-led Total Sanitation by 2010. Accordingly, UNICEF conducted this Survey with support from the DPHE. The Objectives of this survey were two-fold: firstly, to learn about the current sanitation condition at the Ward, Union, Upazila, District and National levels, and secondly, to set the targets for achieving 100 percent sanitation at the different levels in three phases (2005, 2008 and 2010).
 
The Data was collected countrywide to know Whether the Household was using a Latrine. If yes, what type of latrine? (Hygienic or un-hygienic), and, what the pattern of use was? (Used by all, by female members, or occasionally). If no, then why not?  The Data was collected from urban (city corp., Pourasabhas) and rural households with almost identical forms in separate colour-coded forms for households using latrines and those not using latrines. Nationwide, a total of 2,13,94,093 households (1,83,26,332 households in rural areas and 30,67,761 households in urban areas) were surveyed.
 

The Plan Of Action

 
 The Plan of Action is based on findings of Baseline Survey and other Research studies along with the Lessons Learnt in the sector. Let us take them one by one.
 

Plan of Action based on Baseline Survey and other Researches

 

The Sanitation Coverage:

 

Area/Region	No. Of Households	% Of households with hygienic Latrines	% Of households with unhygienic Latrines	% Of households with Latrines	% Of house-holds with no Latrines
Nation	2,13,94,093	33.22	24.80	57.95	41.99
Rural	1,83,26,332	28.77	24.33	53.10	46.90
Urban	30,67,761	59.77	27.62	87.39	12.61
City Corpns	12,16,424	69.92	27.55	97.47	2.53
Pourasabhas	18,51,337	53.10	27.66	80.76	19.24

   
It is evident from above findings of Baseline Survey that although there are 57.95 % households in the country who have a Latrine, but there are only 33.22 % of households, which have hygienic latrines. The remaining 24.80 % households have unhygienic latrines (which are pre-dominantly hanging latrines). The remaining 41.99 % households do not have any latrine and usually follow open defecation. Clearly, the challenge is more in rural areas where coverage with sanitary latrines is only 28.77 % as compared to 59.77 % coverage in urban areas. Within the urban sector too, the problem is more severe in Pourasabhas with 53.10 % coverage of sanitary latrines, when compared with City Corporations with 69.92 % coverage. While in City Corporations only 2.53  % of households do not have a latrine, in Pourasabhas, the 19.24  % households do not have latrines. It is evident from above findings of Baseline Survey that although there are 57.95 % households in the country who have a Latrine, but there are only 33.22 % of households, which have hygienic latrines. The remaining 24.80 % households have unhygienic latrines (which are pre-dominantly hanging latrines). The remaining 41.99 % households do not have any latrine and usually follow open defecation. Clearly, the challenge is more in rural areas where coverage with sanitary latrines is only 28.77 % as compared to 59.77 % coverage in urban areas. Within the urban sector too, the problem is more severe in Pourasabhas with 53.10 % coverage of sanitary latrines, when compared with City Corporations with 69.92 % coverage. While in City Corporations only 2.53  % of households do not have a latrine, in Pourasabhas, the 19.24  % households do not have latrines.
 
The above scenario is presented in the form of Pie charts below:  
 

Latrine Coverage (Nationwide)

 

Latrine Coverage (Rural) 
 
 

Latrine Coverage (Urban)

On the basis of above analyses we will draft Rural and Urban Plans differently. Both will have different time deadlines and content of programme.

 

 

The Geographical Spread of Sanitation Coverage:

While we find that there is a wide differences in coverage between Rural and Urban regions, and within urban regions, large differences lie between City Corporations and Pourasabhas, we also find the range of difference in different levels of administrative units is also strikingly large. The district wise Sanitation Coverage is as follows:

 

 

Now let us examine the geographical spread of the Sanitation Coverage. The GIS-based software was used for plotting the geographical spread of sanitation coverage in the country. The result is as follows:
 

 
From the GIS, it is clear that maximum number of districts, with low (10-20 %) Sanitation coverage, are situated in the northern part of Bangladesh. This region is also infested with maximum poverty. This region is also infested with waterlogged areas, which result in low agricultural production and water-borne diseases. The government has recognized the location disadvantage of the region and the challenge it poses. The government would now focus all its energy in this region. Whether it is Social Mobilization, establishment of Rural Sanitary Marts and Production Centres, or directing government grants for the hard-core poor, this area deserves and would be prioritized. It is evident that most of its better performing districts, with greater than 30 % sanitation coverage, are in Central and Southern regions. While the reasons are understood, they will be further strengthened to reap benefits of their location advantage.
 

 

 

 

 
 

 
From above table, it is clear that the range of coverage across the country is very large for every level of analyses. The range being maximum in Upazilas, ranging from 98.58 % in Rajarhat Upazila in Kurigram district to only 2.0 % in Thanchi Upazila in Bandarban district. Amongst districts, the range is between 52.60 % coverage in Jhalokathi district to 7.08 % in Bandarban district. The persons responsible in implementation of this programme are being made accountable. The Deputy Commissioners, Upazila Nirwahi Officers, Union Parishad Chairman and the DPHE Engineers of best performing regions would be given national recognition and rewards and the officials and LGIs representatives of low performing regions would be motivated to do better.
 

Reasons for Not Having Latrine: Determination of result-oriented strategies:

“Reasons for not having a latrine” are as presented below:
 
 

 
 
From above figure, important Conclusions emerged, based on which we have drafted our strategies.
 
 
 

Lack of money:

 
It is evident that 73.23 % of households do not have a hygienic latrine because of lack of money. Surprisingly, it is more in urban areas (80.47 %) than rural areas (72.9 %) that people find lack of money as the major reason for not having a latrine. 
 
The fact that the Lack of Money has emerged as a major reason for not having a latrine, it establishes the need for partial subsidization of hardcore poor and also necessitates the need for establishing a good network of micro-credit system for the non-poor. The Government of Bangladesh has accordingly taken a decision to earmark 20 % of its Annual Development Programme (ADP) Grant for Sanitation. Of this, 90 % is for hardware subsidy for the hardcore poor, and, 10 % for the software activities. The funds flow is directly to Upazila Parishads, which have been given the responsibility of implementation. The Union Parishads have the responsibility for identification of hardcore poor. 
 
There is also a lack of knowledge regarding actual cost of latrine, and, more often than not, it is lower than the perceived cost. Hence the need for increasing awareness about low cost affordable technological options, suited to their environment.
   

Lack of Awareness:

 
As high as 25.13 % households do not have a hygienic latrine, due to lack of awareness about relationship between Diarrhea and Excreta disposal. Not so surprisingly, lack of awareness is more (25.32 %) in rural areas than urban areas (20.85%). The high Lack of Awareness requires aggressive multi-media campaign highlighting the linkage between sanitation and health. The government has recognized this and started its multi-media campaign in 2003. It also got the Evaluation done by professionals. The summary of the findings are presented below.