Pit latrine emptiers in Satkhira
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Authors
Matt Wenham
Issue Date
2014-06
Type
Language
en
Keywords
Water and Sanitation
Alternative Title
Abstract
The Integrated Urban Development Phase 2 project is about generating sustainable behaviour changes in the way slum dwellers engage with government counterparts and vice-versa - 'Delivering Decentralisation'. The intervention addresses the needs of people from low income settlements in Faridpur and Jessore in Bangladesh, and 4 other towns in Nepal and Sri Lanka. Collectively, over 31 thousand people are now capable of addressing their priority needs and ensuring that Practical Action's funding earmarks for service delivery and slum upgrading is used effectively and in ways which meet their needs. This empowerment and access to basic services have transformed these areas and created a series of subsequent benefits. Urban services (water, sanitation, hygience, waste management)operate in cities, but are often not accessible to poorer communities. This is a combined failure of planning, financial and management capacity and governance. This project enabled communities to engage in the planning and decision making processes of local government. ‘Harijans’ or Dalits are the lowest in the Hindu caste sytem and are frequently exploited. We worked particularly with this group, helping them to form effective representative organisations to ensure that they are able to improve the delivery of public services in their area.