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Student Advising M. Shah Alam Khan |
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Name of the Student: SHAMSUNNAHAR RUNU Program: M. Sc. (WRD)
Title: WATER POVERTY STATUS IN SELECTED SMALL-SCALE WATER RESOURCES PROJECTS IN BANGLADESH
Background and present state of the problem:
Water is one of the most important entry points for poverty reduction. Water not only provides opportunities for increased agricultural production and food security, but also maintains ecological integrity that is essential for livelihood support and healthy living conditions (Sullivan et al., 2002). Millions of people around the world fail to overcome poverty because of lack of water in adequate quantity and quality to sustain their livelihoods (CEH, 2007). This 'water poverty' may also cause conflicts among water users and hinder efficient and equitable allocation of water resources required for sustainable development. UNESCO (2003) asserts that better access to better managed water can significantly reduce poverty. Sullivan (2002) argues that existence of water poverty is likely to fail any measure to reduce income poverty.
There is a strong relationship between water and poverty which is shaped by the physical factors limiting water availability and various social, economic and institutional constraints. Thus assessment of water poverty requires a holistic approach to consider the characteristics that link water and poverty (Heidecke, 2006). Rahman (2004) proposes a set of water poverty indicators for monitoring the performance of macro-scale water sector interventions in Bangladesh. The 'Water Poverty Index' (WPI) (Sullivan, 2002) provides a basis for an assessment that integrates a variety of issues in water management and planning and helps in prioritization of development needs. The WPI can be also used as a tool to monitor the progress in the water sector (CEH, 2007; Lawrence, et al., 2002). Poverty reduction was one of the overall goals of the Small-Scale Water Resources Development Sector Project, Phase I (SSWRDSP-I) implemented in 300 subprojects in the western part of Bangladesh. Poverty reduction in the subprojects has been monitored from a broader perspective of 'human poverty' rather than 'water poverty' using a set of socio-economic indicators (LGED, 2004). BUET-BIDS-Delft Hydraulics (2003) evaluated the socio-economic outcome including poverty reduction in 30 selected subprojects. However, no quantitative assessment was carried out for this evaluation. Valuations were based on theoretical relations between direct outcomes such as agriculture, fisheries and employment and expected distribution of benefits.
Objectives with specific aims and possible outcome:
The objectives of the proposed study are to:
(i) assess water poverty status in different types of small-scale water resources subprojects of SSWRDSP-I; and (ii) determine issues within the subprojects that need further attention from water management perspective.
Possible outcome of this study will be an evaluation of water poverty status and different components of water poverty in selected subprojects, and a methodology for evaluation and monitoring of water poverty status in small-scale water resources projects in Bangladesh.
Outline of Methodology:
Two SSWRDSP-I subprojects, one 'successful' and one 'less successful', will be selected on the basis of their performance as evaluated by BUET-BIDS-Delft Hydraulics (2003). One control site having similar demographic and hydrologic characteristics will be also selected for the study. Location and ease of access for convenience in research execution will be considered during selection of these subprojects. WPI in each site will be calculated from the average value of its 5 components: Resource, Access, Capacity, Use and Environment, on a 0-100 scale. The subcomponents composing the WPI components will be evaluated through questionnaire survey, focus group discussion and secondary data compilation.
The subcomponents or variables used to evaluate the WPI components will include: surface and groundwater availability, water quality, variability or reliability of resources, etc., for 'Resource'; access to clean water and sanitation, access to irrigation coverage, conflicts over water use, etc., for 'Access'; household expenditure, educational level, membership of water user association, etc., for 'Capacity'; domestic water consumption, agricultural water use, industrial water use, etc., for 'Use'; and forest/protected area, fertilizer and pesticide use, crop loss, erosion, etc., for 'Environment'. The compiled information will be presented on a 'WPI pentagram' so the attributes of water sector that need to be developed can be easily identified. The calculated WPI will be compared with the Human Development Index (HDI), if available for the sites from secondary sources.
References:
BUET-BIDS-Delft Hydraulics (2003). "Small-Scale Water Resources Development Sector Project-I, External Evaluation", Final Report, Local Govt. Engineering Department, Govt. of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.
CEH (2007). "Using the Water Poverty Index to Monitor Progress in the Water Sector", http://www.ceh.ac.uk, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, UK.
Heidecke, C. (2006). "Development and Evaluation of a Regional Water Poverty Index for Benin", EPT Discussion Paper 145, Environment and Production Technology Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington DC, USA.
Lawrence, P., Meigh, J., and Sullivan, C. (2002). "The Water Poverty Index: An International Comparison", Keele Economic Research Papers, Department of Economics, Keele University, Staffordshire, UK.
LGED (2004). "Pani Shampad Unnayan O Daridra Hrashkoron" (In Bangla), Local Govt. Engineering Department, Govt. of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.
Rahman, R. (2004). "Formulation of a Pro-poor Water Sector Strategy", Final Report, Institute of Water and Flood Management, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka.
Sullivan, C. (2002). "Calculating a Water Poverty Index", World Development, Elsevier Science Ltd., Vol. 30, No. 7, pp. 1195-1210.
Sullivan, C., Meigh, J., and Fediw, T.S. (2002). "Derivation and Testing of the Water Poverty Index, Phase 1, Volume 1", Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), Wallingford and the Department for International Development, London.
UNESCO (2003). "The UN World Water Development Report: Water for people, water for life", World Water Assessment Programme, UNESCO.
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