Water delivery configurations and CBOs in Dhaka’s slums, Bangladesh: lessons for WASH sustainability

In Dhaka, Bangladesh over five million bustee (slum) dwellers access water via self-help, NonGovernmental Organisations (NGOs), Community-Based Organisations (CBOs), donors, samity’s (cooperative societies), illegal vendors, local leaders, politicians, private landowners and some government agencies. These diverse ‘delivery configurations’ (Olivier de Sardan 2010; 2011; Jaglin 2014) have implications for WASH sustainability, the terms and cost of access. Drawing on in-depth fieldwork in three bustees, and citywide interviews with NGO and government officials, this paper outlines how NGO-initiated CBOs access legal water connections. Whilst CBOs play an increasingly important role, the extent to which supply (and associated hardware) remains functional, affordable and equitable in this context, is disputed. Findings highlight the importance of a more coordinated and integrated approach to water, sanitation, hygiene and land tenure security, for enhanced WASH sustainability in urban low-income settlements.