ADB extends USD 90 million loan to improve water supply and sanitation in Bangladesh's CHT Region

Manila [Philippines], October 27 : The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has given the green light to a USD 90 million loan designed to transform water supply and sanitation services in Bandarban, Lama, and Rangamati towns situated in the Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT) region of Bangladesh.
According to a news release by ADB, a significant number of households in the CHT region have traditionally depended on shared tube wells located in remote areas or have sourced untreated surface water.
This practice has posed serious health risks, and the lack of access to clean water has adversely affected economic opportunities for the local population.
ADB's Urban Development Specialist, Elma Morsheda, emphasized, "The project will deliver continuous supplies of safe drinking water and promote sanitation and solid waste management in the region, specifically benefitting women who are spending considerable productive time daily collecting water and managing waste."
The support from ADB will facilitate the development of water treatment plants with a combined daily capacity of 44 million litres.
These facilities will be established in Bandarban, Lama, and Rangamati pourashavas (towns), along with the construction of transmission lines and distribution networks connecting to households.
Additionally, in Bandarban and Lama, the project will instigate the modernization of sanitation and solid waste management systems.
This will include the rehabilitation of public toilets, the provision of vehicles for safe de-sludging of faecal waste and solid waste collection, integration with a geographic information system, and the introduction of household waste bins equipped with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags to monitor waste collection.
To ensure a sustainable impact, the project will launch a community awareness and behaviour change campaign targeting water, sanitation, hygiene, climate resilience, and solid waste management.
The campaign aims to engage 100,000 people, with a minimum participation rate of 60% from women and vulnerable populations.
It will also involve training approximately 300 staff, with a focus on women, from the Department of Public Health Engineering, hill district councils, and pourashavas, in climate-resilient, inclusive, and sustainable water supply, sanitation, and solid waste management service delivery.
This initiative will enhance the readiness for future investments in water supply and sanitation by preparing feasibility studies, detailed designs, and bidding documents.
These plans will adhere to approaches that prioritize disaster and climate resilience, gender equity, and social inclusion.
ADB's commitment to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific is unwavering.
It continues to work towards the eradication of extreme poverty. Established in 1966, ADB boasts 68 members, 49 of which are from the region.
The organization remains dedicated to improving the living conditions of people in the region and sustaining its developmental efforts.