Research and Consultancy

ITN Research Activities

ITN-BUET is very selective in setting its research agenda. The emerging sector issues, which not only prevent advancement of water supply and sanitation but also jeopardize the achievements made earlier, are targeted for research and studies. In the Research front, ITN Centre undertakes the following responsibility in the Water Supply and Sanitation sector in the country.


  • Conduct need-based research and consultancy in appropriate water supply and environmental sanitation;

  • Advise others on the quality, content and management of research activities;

  • Disseminate outputs from research and consultancy including journal articles, books and pamphlets, conferences, seminars and workshops and mass media; and

  • Advise on WSS sector policy and strategy; institutional reform and capacity building.

ITN Centre has undertaken a number of research and development studies in the water, wastewater & sanitation sector. Some of the research projects of ITN are:


  • Participatory Appraisal on Woman’s Role in Water and Sanitation Practices.

  • Community Participation-Water Supply and Sanitation in Bangladesh.

  • Developing a Handy Kit for Detection of Arsenic in Groundwater & Investigating its Removal Methods.

  • Sanitation Strategies & Technologies in Flood-prone & High Watertable Areas.

  • Situation Analysis on WSS Sector Research in Bangladesh.

  • Development of Effective Communication Materials for Use in Rural WSS.

  • Improving Sanitation for the Low-Income Communities for Sylhet City.

  • Performance Study of Existing PSFs and Design Modification.

  • Study on Risk Assessment of Water Supply options for Arsenic Mitigation (RAAMO)

  • Evaluation of Community Based Arsenic Mitigation through SIDKO Arsenic Removal Plant

  • Removal of Arsenic from Water by Alum.

  • Leaching of Arsenic from Wastes of Arsenic Removal System.

  • Iron & Arsenic Removal Unit.

  • Field test of modified community-based Iron and Arsenic removal unit under different hydrogeochemical situation

  • Groundwater Pollution from Onsite Sanitation

  • Multi-Stage Filtration (MSF) units

  • Support to Water Safety Plan (WSP) Pilots and WSP Training Materials Development

  • Sanitation Options for Slums over Water Bodies or in Low-Lying Areas (SOS-WBLA)

  • Evaluation of a Community Managed WSS Project implemented by DSK-Plan Bangladesh

  • Feasibility Study of Rainwater Harvesting System in Two Selected Slum Areas as an Alternative Sources of Safe Water

  • Coping with Arsenicosis: Socio-economic and Gender Response to Arsenic Contamination in Groundwater in Bangladesh

  • Assessment of the Performance of Modified AIRU Under Different Hydro Geological Conditions.

  • Appropriate Design of Ecological Sanitation for Bangladesh

  • Situation Analysis: Institutional Mechanism in Water Supply and Sanitation Interventions in Poor Urban Areas

  • Waste Pickers’ Livelihoods, Vulnerabilities and Means to Overcome Existing Condition

  • Removal of Manganese and Arsenic from Groundwater Using Manganese Oxide Coated Sand

  • Assessing Climate Change Impacts on Surface Water of Bangladesh

  • Study on Conservation of Water through the Use of Water Efficient Appliances in Dhaka City

  • Possibility and Scope of Reusing Textile Wash Water Directly or with Minimum Treatment for Pretreatment (Scouring and Bleaching) of Cotton goods

Potential Areas in WSS for Further Researches

A consultation meeting with the sector organizations was organized on 05 March 2007 by ITN-BUET to identify the areas and topics where some important action research can be conducted preferably in collaboration. The potential areas in WSS for further researches are listed below:

Rural Water Supply


  • Review of different alternative WS options i.e., PSF, DW, RWHS, DTW with a view to enhance their effectiveness. Such as controlling blue green algae of PSF, better construction of DW to make it bacteriologically safe and safer depth for DTWs

  • Development of possible treatment technology for iron, manganese and arsenic problem areas

  • Water quality surveillance and monitoring in the interventions of different sector organizations

  • Development of WSP tools for different context of water supply systems, and

  • Review of Arsenic kits to enhance its effectiveness

Urban Water Supply


  • Appropriate institutional arrangement for effective water supply system

  • Viability of public-private partnership in pourashavas

  • Reforms needed for sustainability of WSS in pourashavas

  • Development of WSP tools for different context of water supply systems

  • Assessment of service life of production well

  • Identification of appropriate technological options for coastal belt

  • Artificial recharge of groundwater

  • Assessment of aquifer capacity, and

  • Conservation of water

Rural Sanitation


  • Technical and socio-economic assessment of different sanitation options

  • Development of appropriate sanitation options in hilly/haor/flood-prone areas

  • Sludge management technology

  • Spacing between latrine and hand tube wells

  • Ecological sanitation

  • Monitoring the hygienic behaviour, and

  • Sanitation options for excluded groups, i.e., old, disabled people

Urban Sanitation


  • Viability of combined sewerage in major cities

  • Appropriate process and technology of desludging

  • Appropriate technological option for low-lying areas

  • Performance assessment of public toilets

  • Development/reviewing of effective soak wells, and

  • Resource recovery from Solid waste management

Cross-cutting Topics


  • Impact assessment of health outcome

  • Development of indicators for assessment of behavioural change, and

  • Provision of subsidy to hardcore poor
Research with ITN