The declining budget allocation for the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sectors poses a critical challenge to Bangladesh’s progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets by 2030. The FY25 budget reflects a 22.5% reduction in WASH funding, decreasing from Tk14,981 crore in FY24 to Tk11,617 crore. This significant cut is particularly alarming amidst escalating climate risks and urbanization pressures, threatening the nation’s ability to meet SDG6 objectives.
From FY17 to FY23, Bangladesh saw a commendable upward trend in WASH investment, aligning well with the SDG targets. However, the unexpected 18% decline in FY24 disrupted this positive trajectory, highlighting the fragility of sustained investment in critical public health infrastructure. The proposed FY25 budget exacerbates this issue, reversing the progress made and posing a severe risk to public health and environmental sustainability.
Fiscal Allocations for WASH
- FY23 Allocation: Tk182.28 billion
- FY24 Allocation: Tk139.42 billion
- Decline from FY23 to FY24: 23%
- Growth Rate in WASH Allocations for FY24: 5.44%
- ADP Overall Growth Rate: 7.4%
WASH Service Inequities: Urban Areas Prioritized Over Rural
The disparities in budget allocation between urban and rural areas are stark. Urban regions are earmarked Tk10,287.89 crore, while rural areas receive only Tk1,329.15 crore, emphasizing a significant urban-rural divide in access to essential WASH services. Shockingly, Dhaka South, a critical urban hub, has been overlooked entirely in the proposed FY25 budget, exacerbating inequities in service provision.
Furthermore, the WASH allocations across the eight city corporations have decreased and are unevenly distributed. Such disparities undermine efforts to ensure equitable access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities, particularly affecting marginalized groups such as women and people with disabilities. The current budgetary approach risks exacerbating existing inequalities and hindering the nation’s overall
SDG Targets Related to WASH
- SDG 3.9: Reduce deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and pollution
- SDG 6.1: Achieve universal access to safe and affordable drinking water
- SDG 6.2: Achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene
In response to evolving challenges in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), experts emphasize the critical role of increased individual efforts in adopting technology and best practices. They underscored the importance of awareness campaigns, citing successes in curbing open defecation and promoting oral rehydration solutions, pivotal in reducing child mortality rates.
Government initiatives reflect a notable escalation in healthcare expenditure, highlighted by a 39% increase over the last revised budget for the fiscal year 2024. Specifically, the proposed allocation of Tk41,408 crore for health, constituting 5.2% of the total budget and 0.7% of GDP, contrasts with Tk29,782 crore allocated previously, amounting to 0.8% of GDP. Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali has further proposed a special allocation of Tk2,000 crore to mitigate health risks, alongside Tk100 crore earmarked for advancing scientific research in health disciplines, including reproductive health and nutrition.
Urban vs. Rural Disparities
- Urban Allocation: Tk10,287.89 crore
- Rural Allocation: Tk1,329.15 crore
- Urban vs. Rural Divide:
- Urban: 88.55% of total WASH budget
- Rural: 11.45% of total WASH budget
Lack of Safe Drinking Water and Proper Sanitation
Statistical data from WaterAid revealed sobering figures: as of 2021, Bangladesh only met 59% of its safe drinking water needs and 39% of its safely managed sanitation needs, with just six years remaining to achieve universal coverage. The fiscal allocations reflect this urgency, with Tk182.28 billion earmarked in FY23 and Tk139.42 billion in FY24, indicating a concerning 23% decline in the proposed budget for the latter year. This decline stands starkly against previous fluctuations observed in FY13 and FY14, highlighting a consistent challenge in securing adequate funding stability.
Moreover, the growth rate in WASH allocations for FY24 at 5.44% falls significantly short of the ADP’s overall growth rate of 7.4%, potentially jeopardizing the timely realization of SDG6 commitments.
Health Expenditure
- Total Health Budget for FY25: Tk41,408 crore
- Increase from FY24: 39%
- FY24 Revised Budget: Tk29,782 crore
- Health Budget as Percentage of Total Budget: 5.2%
- Health Budget as Percentage of GDP: 0.7% (previously 0.8% of GDP in FY24)
The consequences of inadequate WASH services are dire. The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) reports alarming rates of infectious diseases, including paratyphoid, typhoid, jaundice, diarrhoea, cholera, respiratory illnesses, Hepatitis A, blood dysentery, conjunctivitis, and skin and worm diseases. From November 2023 to March 2024, DGHS recorded 127,956 cases of Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) and 200 related deaths, alongside 299,307 cases of diarrhoea and five fatalities.
The Joint Monitoring Program (JMP) Report 2023 underscores the severity of the situation. In 2022, 69.46 million people in Bangladesh (41% of the population) lacked access to safely managed drinking water, while 117.2 million people (69%) were without safely managed sanitation. Additionally, 71.84 million people (39%) did not have basic handwashing facilities.
Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that half of the world’s population lacks adequate WASH services, which could have prevented at least 1.4 million deaths and 74 million disability-adjusted life years in 2019. Bruce Gordon, head of WHO’s Water, Sanitation, Hygiene, and Health Unit, emphasizes that inadequate WASH access remains a critical and preventable health risk, particularly for vulnerable populations.
Health Consequences of Inadequate WASH Services (November 2023 – March 2024)
- Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) Cases: 127,956
- ARI-Related Deaths: 200
- Diarrhoea Cases: 299,307
- Diarrhoea-Related Deaths: 5
- Other Infectious Diseases: Paratyphoid, typhoid, jaundice, cholera, Hepatitis A, blood dysentery, conjunctivitis, skin and worm diseases
11.8% Increase in ADP Size Overshadowed by WASH Allocation Reductions
The fiscal data paints a troubling picture for Bangladesh. The allocation for the WASH sector in FY23 was Tk182.28 billion, which dropped to Tk139.42 billion in FY24, reflecting a concerning 23% decline. This downward trend is part of a broader pattern of fluctuating WASH allocations, notably during FY13 and FY14. Such inconsistency hampers progress towards achieving SDG6, which aims for universal access to safe and affordable drinking water and sanitation by 2030.
To address these challenges, experts recommend restoring the WASH budget to at least FY24 levels and significantly increasing future allocations. They argue that the WASH sector should be designated as a separate budgetary category to ensure focused investment. Moreover, there is a call to continue VAT and supplementary duty exemptions on raw materials for sanitary napkins to boost domestic production and improve hygiene for women and adolescent girls.
JMP Report 2023 (Data for 2022)
- Population Lacking Safely Managed Drinking Water: 69.46 million (41%)
- Population Without Safely Managed Sanitation: 117.2 million (69%)
- Population Without Basic Handwashing Facilities: 71.84 million (39%)
In the quest to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets related to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) by 2030, global commitments have been made to ensure universal access to safe WASH facilities while significantly reducing associated deaths and illnesses. These targets are critical components of SDG 3.9, 6.1, and 6.2, emphasizing the pivotal role of adequate WASH services in promoting public health and enhancing overall productivity.
Recent developments in Bangladesh’s WASH sector have underscored both progress and challenges. Despite an 11.8% increase in the Annual Development Programme (ADP) size to Tk2.63 trillion in FY2023-24, there has been a concerning downward fluctuation in the ADP allocation specifically designated for WASH. Allocation figures reveal a reduction to one-fourth of the previous fiscal year’s allotment, highlighting a potential setback in achieving national WASH goals amidst broader economic priorities.
Household Access to WASH Services (HIES 2022)
- Improved Toilet Facilities: 92.32% of households
- Sources of Drinking Water:
- Tube-Wells: 76.81%
- Piped Water Supplies: 19.34%
- Open Defecation: 0.69%
Statistical insights from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics’ Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2022 further illuminate the challenges. The survey indicates that while a majority of households have access to improved toilet facilities (92.32%), significant disparities persist in the sources of drinking water. Approximately 76.81% rely on tube-wells, while 19.34% access piped water supplies. Alarmingly, a small fraction (0.69%) still practices open defecation due to inadequate toilet facilities, highlighting the urgent need for enhanced WASH infrastructure and services.
