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Marginalization possesses a political dimension as it is intricately connected to feelings of powerlessness, helplessness, and exclusion, wherein individuals on the margins are deprived of the ability to exert control over vital aspects of their existence. In southwest coastal Bangladesh, there are many marginalized populations whose basic human rights are violated due to power imbalances in society. Accessing potable water is also their basic human right. The SDG 6.1 places importance on ensuring fair and equal access to water in order to “leave no one behind,” which is to ensure that no one is excluded. But there is a lack of studies that incorporate the water security status of this marginalized population.
In this study, a comprehensive analysis of the drinking water security of the marginalized populations of the southwest is conducted using Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) analysis. The objectives of this study are to identify the spatial distribution of marginalized communities in the selected southwest coastal districts, which are Satkhira, Khulna, and Bagerhut, and to assess current drinking water security in the context of water availability, accessibility, reliability, and quality in selected specific categories (ethnic minor, socio-occupational, and religious minor) of marginalized communities. The study also aims to provide plausible solutions to contextual water security issues. The assessment of water security was conducted in five selected unions (Bajua, Banishanta, and Uttor Bedkashi) in Khulna and (Munshiganj, and Burigoalini) Satkhira districts. The methods include union wise geospatial mapping of the marginalized population based on secondary data for the southwest boundary and primary data for the 5 unions, the selection of water security indicators, the application of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), sensitivity analysis, and assessing water quality parameters (e.g., Arsenic (As), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Total Nitrogen (TN), Total Phosphorus (TP), Electrical Conductivity (EC), Dissolve Oxygen (DO), pH and Escherichia coli [E. coli]).
The geospatial mapping of marginalized populations indicates that they are residing in all of the unions of Satkhira (10809), Khulna (6891) and Bagerhat (6395). Drinking water security assessment suggests that two ethnic groups, Munda at (Kodomtala village, Burigoalini Union) and Mahato at (Boddol village, Uttor Bedkashi Union), are the most water secure among them, scoring 34.8 and 31.5 out of 40. The rest are found to be water insecure (scores ranging from 10 to 25). The Munda and Mahato are residing in groundwater-available areas, while the rest of the communities are residing in groundwater-scarce areas, relying on a number of alternative sources. Among the low-scoring communities, accessibility (e.g., distance to a source, ability to buy water, and social access) is dominantly affecting their water security. Whereas the water security scores of the non-marginalized communities in the same locations are better than those with fewer accessibility issues.
Sensitivity analysis using WSM and UWM suggests that Munda and Mahato always rank first and Christian last. In case 4, the Kahar and Rishi communities exhibit slight differences from the Bede communities in terms of access prioritization in cases 3 and 4, and reliability prioritization in case 5. Overall, ranks are constant. Similarly, STW and DTW always rank first and pond last. There are slight differences between (PSF+BSF) and (PSF+TW) in case 4, where access was prioritized, and (Pond+RWHS) in cases 3, with availability, 4 with access, and 5 with reliability. Overall, ranks are constant.
The results of water quality tests in two villages in Banishanta suggest that for the samples collected from two ponds, the concentration of E. coli and DO exceed WHO's permissible limit, and the concentration of Fe and DO exceed both WHO and Bangladesh drinking water standards in both the wet and dry seasons. The Bede and Christian communities predominantly use these sources. On the other hand, in the samples taken from STW, the mean concentration of As meets Bangladesh’s drinking water standard but exceeds WHO's drinking water standard for both seasons. For STW, the other parameters, such as EC, Mn, and Fe, exceed both drinking water standards in both seasons. For RO, the mean EC value exceeds WHO's drinking water standard for both seasons. For RWHSS, DO exceeds Bangladesh's permissible limit, and E. coli exceeds WHO's permissible limit. In rivers, EC and E. coli exceed WHO's permissible limits in both seasons; Fe exceeds both WHO's and Bangladesh's permissible limits in both seasons; and DO exceeds Bangladesh's permissible limit in the wet season.
A multitude of water security challenges have been encountered by participants across three discrete domains: environmental, water governance, and socio-economic. One plausible approach to addressing water security concerns is to enhance community-based natural resource management, which would cultivate a sense of ownership and incentive to improve potable water sources such as PSFs. In addition, the actionable solution encompasses the implementation of cost-effective technologies to assist marginalized groups, ensure fair and equal access to household RWHSS tanks, reevaluate the dried pond, conduct regular monitoring and evaluation of water sources, implement regulations on excessive groundwater irrigation, promote social awareness, and facilitate more inclusive decision-making in water service investments with a focus on livelihood improvement and marginalized communities. The collective effort of pertinent NGOs, LGIs, and GOs is required to execute each of these strategies. |
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