Gender inclusive water security framework for peri-urban area in the context of climate change

Abstract

Water is an essential element in our daily life without which living in this earth would be impossible.Watersecurityisoneofthemostimportantissueinunderpinningequitable,persistent and productive societies and ecosystems where development is safeguarded. Bangladesh is a riverine country but day by day due to lack of proper initiatives and attention, the abandon water resources are decreasing and losing sufficient quality. Water security, climate change and gender are closely linked with one another and in predicted future scenario, gender relations will be adversely affected by climate change in peri urban areas. This study has assessed the condition of watersecurityinsixunionsofSingairupazilaofManikganjdistrictunderDhakadivision.Primary and secondary data were collected from the study area and relevant organizations including Bangladesh Meteorological Department, Departments of Public Health Engineering and Upazila Headquarters. In-depth household interview has been conducted to collect necessary primarydata from the study area and the sample size was 182. Participatory rural appraisals tools like Focus Group Discussions, Key Informant Interviews, quantitative analyses, mapping tools and framework have been used in this study. Information about gendered water related problemshave beenobtainedfromthesurveyandthefindingssuggestedthatthegroundwaterlevelhasbeengone down; groundwater is polluted with arsenic, iron etc.; number of surface waterbody is low while the water is also dried up; and above all, lack of supply water has made the life of people more difficult. From the collected primary data, water security index has been calculated based on five dimensions of water security: water supply, water quality, water disaster, water environment and water governance. A number of indicators and sub-indicators under each of five dimensions have been considered. The findings suggest that among the six unions of study area, the situation of Shaista Union is the worst with an index value of 2.88 out of 5. Index value 4.01 kept Jamsha in highly satisfactory status while other four unions are in the states of somehow satisfactory to satisfactory. A gender inclusive water security framework has been developed in order to lessen thesufferingsofgendergroup.Securinggenderaccesstolandandwater,empoweringtoimprove their skills and knowledge, involving gender in the planning, implementation, operation and maintenance, encouraging them to participate in decision-making for water management and capacity-development and access to information, knowledge and technology are few important and useful suggestions to include gender in securing water. Gender inclusion will foster greater efficiency, effectiveness and equity in water management which will ensure safe water forall.