Drinking water supply and sanitation to suit post cyclone situation in the coastal region of Bangladesh

Abstract

Natural disasters such as cyclones and storm surges occur very frequently in Bangladesh specially in the coastal region of the country. Instant damages by cyclones and storm surge disasters are usually massive. Human lives along with their livestock and shelters are swept away. Damages to the sectors of agriculture, forestries, fisheries, industries and physical infrastructures are enormous. The disaster surviving population face serious scarcity of safe drinking water during the post disaster period. This problem poses threat to their existence. Tremendous cyclones and tidal surges normally cause serious damage to the existing water supply and sanitation facilities in the coastal region. Hand tubewells are either broken or partially damaged and become unusable due to submergence by polluted or saline sea water. Limited sanitation facilities in the affected areas no longer exist. Ponds and other open water bodies are all contaminated by the onrush of saline water thereby leading to a serious crisis of drinking water and consequently post disaster outbreak of water borne diseases. These again take away lives of thousands of the affected people. While the death toll in the April, 1991 cyclone is of the order of 1,50,000 an order of about 1,00,000 people got diarrhoea in matter of week~ after the cyclone due to the deficie.ncy of safe water and proper sanitation facilities . In general, the coastal region of Bangladesh is identified as a saline problem area. Complexity in hydrogeological situation makes the water supply in that region relatively difficult compared to other parts of the country. This is reflected in the low service coverage with potable water in the area. Rural sanitation coverage in the coastal region is also extremely poor. By adopting proper measures, the post disaster crisis of drinking water supply in the affected areas may be redressed to a large extent and thus minimized loss of human lives. This particular thesis work has focused on the overall water supply and sanitation in the coastal region of Bangladesh. The major thrust of the thesis has been put to find out ways and means to tackle the post disaster crisis of safe water supply and sanitation.