Although Bangladesh receives plenty of rainwater during its monsoon, both rural and urban areas suffer from shortages of safe drinking water during dry season. Arsenic contamination of ground water affects many rural areas, whilst some urban areas including the capital, Dhaka City, lack sufficient potable ground water to meet the demand. To cope with the problem, this research explore: the feasibility of harvesting rainwater during monsoon as a source of quality safe drinking water in Dhaka City. A questionnaire survey was conducted about potable water shortage in four slums of Dhaka City. Rainwater was collected using a non-toxic waterproof cloth as a catchment during monsoon and stored in a ferro-cement storage tank with an initial flushing device attached at the inlet of the tank. Different important physical, chemical and bacteriological parameters were tested throughout the storage period of 4 months. The efficiency of the rainwater harvesting system increased from 51% to 80% before and after installing the system. The test results were compared with the Bangladesh water quality standards. The tests have revealed slightly higher pH value (8.1 to 8.3) and enormity of color beyond the acceptable range. Although 3988 M.M. Islam et al.the presence of total coliform was detected after three months, traditional filtering of that stored rainwater showed a promising solution to mitigate potable water shortages in Bangladesh.

This article presents a comprehensive analysis of the gender-water nexus in rural Bangladesh based on extensive field survey, focus group discussion, and interview with key informants, all carried out at seven study locations across Bangladesh. It presents the findings in four key areas: household water management, health and well-being, irrigation water management, and water related vulnerability. It has been observed that water for household use is collected by women and children, who face an array of physical, psychological and social problems. How water is collected depends on income/social class, location of water source, time of the day, and religious/cultural factors. The time spent for water collection imposes significant opportunity costs as loss of income and education opportunities. Tube well water is widely used for drinking, but pond and river water is extensively used for other purposes. This, along with the lack of sanitation, causes frequent outbreak of water-borne diseases. Improper storage of water, poorly maintained tube wells, and arsenic in shallow wells pose additional threats to health. Women in arsenic affected areas face excommunication if detected with arsenicosis; in coastal areas women are forced to fry collection under very unhealthy and unsafe conditions. These difficulties are exacerbated during natural disasters such as floods and droughts. Presently, there is very little participation of women in agricultural water management as 'right to water' is perceived as linked with 'right to land', over which women have little control. These hardships and deprivations are fundamentally caused by the lack of a number of factors: awareness, education, access to resources, empowerment, and institutional support. This article suggests a range of policy interventions to address these issues.

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This study explored the feasibility and acceptability of harvested rainwater in rural communities of Bangladesh as well as densely populated City like Dhaka, using simple and low-cost technology. As a part of this study, a field survey was conducted in the water-scarce Dhaka City. Four slums were selected for conducting questionnaire survey. A questionnaire was furnished to know some information such as the socio-economic condition for those slum dwellers and family information, housing condition, sanitation condition, health condition, economic condition, existing water supply condition, knowledge about rainwater, willingness to accept rainwater, etc. Two hundred people from different representative groups were selected randomly. Yield after spillage and yield before spillage models were developed to know the actual rainwater availability and storage conditions, which were used to justify the effective tank size. Cost-benefit analysis and feasibility analysis were performed using the survey results and the research findings. A sensitivity analysis was performed to check the important parameters toward the implementation of the system as well. The results showed that cost was the most sensitive parameter (48.1%), the second highest sensitive parameter was roof area (25.9%) and the lowest sensitive parameter was demand (2.2%). The study showed that the low-cost rainwater harvesting technique was feasible and acceptable to the slum dwellers as the only potential alternative source of safe drinking water.

Since its birth in 1985, the Barind Multi-purpose Development Project (BMDP) has become a model of a sustainable rural development project in Bangladesh. The project maintains technical soundness by ensuring a high level of water use efficiency and a minimum well spacing. The project runs on full operating and maintenance cost recovery basis, which is achieved through an innovative prepaid water coupon system and the associated command area development scheme. Its governance structure is democratic and participatory. The project has several environmental enhancement programmes such as water conservation, homestead and social forestry, promotion of integrated pest control, and farmers' training. In addition, it has adopted an integrated planning approach that incorporates extending rural electrification, building rural infrastructure and an array of other support programmes. As a result, the BMDP has emerged as a model of sustainable groundwater-based rural development initiative in Bangladesh.