The document outlines a collaborative effort in Bangladesh to identify and prioritize water and sanitation interventions, engaging economists, sector experts, and various stakeholders. It details the outcomes of roundtable discussions organized by the Copenhagen Consensus Center and BRAC, yielding over 100 ideas focused on improving sanitation and water access. Key initiatives include community-led total sanitation, behavior change communication, and various strategies for enhancing hygienic practices across urban and rural areas.

1. Water and
Sanitation
Research Ideas
Dhaka
July 2, 2015

2. Bangladesh Priorities
WORKING WITH 30-50 economists including Nobel Laureates, 100+
sector experts engaging major development organizations, NGOs,
government, businesses, youths, rural and urban Bangladeshis to
identify, analyze and prioritize interventions that will deliver greater
benefit per taka spent, helping move Bangladesh towards Vision 2021
and a more prosperous long term future.

3. In cooperation with the Research
and Evaluation Division of BRAC,
Copenhagen Consensus Center
organized roundtable discussions
with an aim to figure out smarter
solutions to the most problematic
issues facing Bangladesh.
These roundtables are
one of several sources
for research ideas.
Sourcing ideas and solutions
Smarter solutions for Bangladesh
Complete set of papers
on 30-50 solutions
PRIORITIZATION
Government NGOs
Academia Pvt sector
Think tanks
Development
organizations
Eminent Panel
Assessment
Government and
donor seminars
Rural polls
Newspaper polls
among readers
Youth forums
across the country
Private sector
meetings
Social, economic and
environmental benefit-cost
research by top Bangladeshi,
and international economists
Extensive peer review by sector
experts and academics
100+ ideas on
policies & investments
20162015 Continuous
engagement with
the public via
electronic, print
and social media
Working with
civil society,
government and
sector experts
Widely
advocating
results of
prioritization
exercises
OUTREACH

4. Research Ideas

5. Water and Sanitation;
(1 of 5)
• Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach.
• Incorporate behavior change communication (BCC)
component in sanitation projects.
• Mobilize community level investments in the design
and implementation of fecal sludge and solid waste
management projects.
• Engage health and family planning government
officials in implementing WASH projects.
• Incorporate WASH modules in the education
curriculum.
• Engage media for raising awareness on water and
sanitation issues.

6. Water and Sanitation;
(2 of 5)
• Integrate WASH with nutrition programs.
• Create a fund enabling schools to buy soaps.
• Ensure women’s sanitation facilities in schools.
• Channel water from Padma and Meghna rivers to mega
cities.
• Ensure a safe distance between water supply and
latrines.
• Stop dumping industrial waste in fresh water.
• Establish sanitation facilities in hard-to-reach areas.
• Promote safe sanitation in Haor areas.
• Provide free latrines to the ultra-poor.

7. Water and Sanitation;
(3 of 5)
• Integrate school sanitation and menstrual hygiene.
• Expand village level menstrual behavior awareness.
• Build public toilets that consider women’s needs.
• Set up 5’ x 5’ public toilets across Bangladesh.
• Testing water quality at the field-level (e.g. through
public-private partnership (PPP).
• Set up water safety plants to prevent arsenic
contamination.
• Set up latrines across Bangladesh’s rural areas.
• Developing fecal sludge management system in peri-
urban areas.
• Modernization of fecal sludge management.

8. Water and Sanitation;
(4 of 5)
• Provide subsidies to individuals to buy latrines.
• Integrate access to water supply with arsenic
mitigation.
• Access to improved, automated waste disposal across
rural and urban areas.
• Improved water facilities and waste disposal systems.
• Expand availability of sanitation facilities countrywide.
• Expand availability of safe drinking water.
• Creating awareness on waste management.
• Increase levels of hand-washing and hygiene.

9. Water and Sanitation;
(5 of 5)
• Prioritize supply of water to women for agriculture and
fishing.
• Design water conservation program for the Northern
region and coastal belt.
• Offer financial support for water vendors in slum areas.
• Organize businesses for collection and disposal of
sludge.

10. Full List of Attendees and
Interviewees
Laboni Shabna, Program Coordinator, DAM.
Mohammad Zobair Hasan, Chief (REM), DORP.
Rizwan Ahmed, Head of National Research Center,
Forum for Public Health.
S M Mahbubur Rahman, Director, WRP, IWM.
Dr. Md. Mahbubur Rahman, Project Coordinator,
ICCDRB.
Milan Kanti Barua, Program Head, WASH BRAC.
Nepal Chandra Dey, RED BRAC.
Tahera Akhter, RED BRAC.
Ratnajit Saha, RED BRAC.
Raisa Chowdhury, Manager Program Support, IDE.
Mahmood Parvez, RED BRAC.
Md. Qamrul Islam, Director, VERC.
Dr. Md. Abdur Rashid, BRRI.
Avijit Poddar, Director Research, HDRC.
Md. Shafiqul Alam, WASH specialist UNICEF.
Jan Willem Rosenboom, Senior Program Officer -
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Global Development.
Roshan Shrestha, Senior Program Officer - Water,
Sanitation and Hygiene, Global Development.
Uttam Kumar Saha, Head of Program - Energy and
Urban Services, Practical Action.
Rajeev Munankami, Senior Advisor, SNV
(Netherlands).