A paradigm shift is happening in urban sanitation in Bangladesh, where effective governance and regulation are prioritized for implementing citywide inclusive sanitation (CWIS) with accountability and transparency. Governance, regulation, and integrity are not yet firmly linked in urban sanitation. ITN-BUET and WIN (Water Integrity Network), Berlin, Germany, have collaborated to integrate governance into CWIS in Bangladesh and conduct associated capacity building of the urban sanitation section actors.
On November 5, 2023, a daylong workshop was held at ITN-BUET, Dhaka, to assess the immediate needs and laid the foundation for future online capacity building on governance and CWIS principles. The event brought together major actors in urban sanitation across the country, including Dhaka North, South, and Rajshahi City Corporations, Municipal Association of Bangladesh (MAB), Dhaka and Rajshahi WASAs, DPHE, INGOs, and experts from BUET, RUET, SUST. The ITN-BUET and WIN jointly organized the workshop as a part of WIN’s global capacity-building program in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
In the welcome note, Mr. Alauddin Ahmed, Manager, ITN-BUET, highlighted the importance of CWIS and the governance agenda. Mr. Ivan Zupan, Programme Manager, WIN, shared the objectives of the workshop. Prof. Dr. Tanvir Ahmed, Director, ITN-BUET, greeted the event and presented an overview and current initiatives on CWIS in Bangladesh. Dr. Marcela, Coordinator, Capacity Development Program and Knowledge Management, WIN, provided a comprehensive presentation on governance and regulation in sanitation.
The sector actors identified future training needs through interactive group work on three major aspects, including roles and responsibilities of main actors in the sanitation sector, challenges to provide affordable, safe, and sustainable sanitation services, and suggestions for improvement. The workshop will help WIN to design the online capacity-building program on governance and CWIS, which will be implemented by ITN-BUET in Bangladesh and ESAWAS (Eastern and Southern Africa Water and Sanitation), Regulators Association in Zambia, in March 2024.
