WaterAid Bangladesh, with support from the Embassy of Sweden in Bangladesh, hosted a national-level workshop on the ‘WASH for Urban Poor (WASH4UP) Phase II’ project, bringing together key stakeholders to reflect on progress, challenges, and future directions for urban water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services.
The workshop, held recently, focused on reviewing the project’s major achievements, lessons learned, and stakeholder insights from its implementation between April 2023 and March 2026. Participants examined both baseline and endline findings while identifying priority actions to sustain and scale inclusive and climate-resilient WASH services for urban poor communities across Bangladesh.
Addressing the event as chief guest, Mohammad Saiful Islam Mazomder, Joint Secretary of the Policy Support Branch under the Local Government Division, emphasized that key issues raised during the workshop would be incorporated into policy frameworks, with necessary steps taken to support their implementation.
Special guest Nayoka Martinez-Bäckström, First Secretary (Environment & Climate) and Deputy Head of Development Cooperation at the Swedish Embassy in Dhaka, highlighted the long-standing partnership with WaterAid, noting that collaboration between the two spans nearly two decades and extends across multiple countries to improve access to quality and sustainable WASH services.
Mohammad Mamun-Ul-Hasan, Chief Social Welfare and Slum Development Officer at Dhaka North City Corporation, stressed the importance of not only maintaining infrastructure but also fulfilling responsibilities toward local communities. He expressed hope that WaterAid’s initiatives would continue to expand and positively impact urban populations.
The workshop was chaired by Hasin Jahan, Country Director of WaterAid Bangladesh, who delivered the closing remarks and vote of thanks. She acknowledged the contributions of all stakeholders and highlighted that, inspired by WaterAid’s work, the Directorate of Education has initiated efforts to promote positive WASH behavior among school students. She also underscored the need for coordinated research in collaboration with institutions such as the Department of Public Health Engineering, WASA, city corporations, and private organizations to strengthen knowledge systems and enable evidence-based decision-making.
The event featured a welcome address by Azman Ahmed Chowdhury, Director of Business Development and Quality Assurance, followed by a project presentation from Partha Hefaz Shaikh, Director of Programme and Policy Advocacy. An open discussion session was led by Fayazuddin Ahmad, Policy and Advocacy Lead, encouraging dialogue among participants.
During his remarks, Azman Ahmed Chowdhury highlighted that sustainable urban WASH systems have been strengthened through better alignment between policy frameworks and civil society engagement. The event brought together around 120 participants, including policymakers, government officials, donor representatives, academics, think tanks, sector experts, and NGO and INGO representatives, fostering a collaborative platform to reflect on the project’s impact.
The WASH4UP Phase II project addresses critical disparities in urban areas, where access to water and sanitation services remains uneven despite overall urban development. Poor communities living in slums and informal settlements are particularly vulnerable to waterborne diseases, inadequate sanitation, and environmental challenges such as flooding and waterlogging.
To tackle these issues, the project has focused on improving environmental health and resilience among underserved populations. Its implementation covered multiple urban areas, including Dhaka North City, Dhaka South City, Chattogram, and Khulna, along with municipalities such as Paikgacha, Sakhipur, and Saidpur, aiming to build inclusive, sustainable, and climate-resilient WASH systems for the urban poor.
