Water.org’s projects in Dhaka, Bangladesh are both grant-based and WaterCredit. WaterCredit catalyzes small loans to individuals and communities who do not have access to traditional credit markets, empowering them to immediately address their own water needs.

Dhaka is an incredibly dense urban area (7 million in Dhaka; 12.5 million counting the wider metro area). The size of Dhaka’s urban population is increasing at an alarming rate. The poor from the rural areas continue to migrate to the urban areas with the hope of being able to earn higher wages to support their families. Many of these people find shelter in Dhaka’s slum communities. These squatter communities are the most densely populated areas in the country. People in these slums live on less than US $2 a day, and many live on less than US $1 a day. Because they have no “legal” rights, the slums can be demolished without warning by the government. Also, slums are regularly destroyed by floods, which occur several times a year. These floods contaminate the surface water sources and are a major source of disease outbreaks. In addition, there is naturally occurring arsenic in the water sources in Dhaka.

Long lines of women and children waiting at public water points are a common sight because they don’t know when the water will flow (or if it will flow that day). Women and children spend hours waiting in line to collect water. Often, there is not enough water to meet everyone’s needs. Fights can break out as a result. People are also selling water at exorbitant prices from tankers (also referred to as “the water mafia”); these people are resistant to Water.org projects.

Acute poverty, overcrowding, poor housing, and unhealthy disposal of waste all play major roles in the water and sanitation crisis in the urban areas of Bangladesh.

We envision the day when everyone in the world can take a safe drink of water.

Water.org doesn’t build water systems for people, but with people. We believe that local people know their own needs best. That’s why we work through high-quality partner organizations based in the developing world that share this philosophy. It's also why the communities we serve are actively involved in all stages of their water project. Community involvement ensures the use of appropriate technology and fosters sustainability. And integrating all projects with health and hygiene education ensures that the benefits of safe water continue for many years to come. We also offer innovative financing methods through our WaterCredit Initiative, empowering local communities to develop and sustain solutions to their own water needs.

Our programs in Bangladesh have served more than 55,000 people to-date, providing access to safe water and sanitation.

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