Total economic impact of inadequate sanitation amounts to Tk 295.5b loss

FE Report Total economic impact of inadequate sanitation in Bangladesh amounts to a loss of Tk. 295.5 billion (US$ 4.2 billion) each year, which is equivalent to 6.3 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), said eminent economist Dr Abul Barakat. He disclosed this at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity today (Saturday) to launch worldwide report on 'Off-track, off-target: why investment in water, sanitation and hygiene is not reaching those who need it most?. Dr Khairul Islam, country representative of WaterAid in Bangladesh was present. International NGO WaterAid and Human Development Research Centre (HDRC) jointly organised the press conference highlighting scarcity of fund in water, sanitation and hygiene, uneven and unjust distribution of the same. Dr Barakat said that, "The health-related economic loss due to inadequate sanitation, at Tk. 249.2 billion (US$ 3.56 billion) is the largest component of the impacts. More so, the children and poor households are the most heavily affected victims of inadequate sanitation in Bangladesh." The report disclosed that Bangladesh has been able to reach improved drinking water sources to 86 per cent of its population but its proportion of population using an improved sanitation facility is pretty low at 54 per cent, a report of an international non-government organisation said today (Saturday). The report In line with millennium development goals said Government of Bangladesh has to meet its commitment to the target of 'Sanitation for All' by 2013 and 'Water for All' by 2011. On average, government allocates Tk. 1.32 billion (0.42 per cent of ADP) for providing subsidised sanitation every year. However, considering the rural-urban population distribution the sanitation allocation in rural areas is less than that in the urban areas. Recent 7 fiscal years' figures show that allocation for rural areas was 63 per cent of the total national allocation, whereas 76 per cent people resides in the rural areas, the report added. The Wateraid country representative said every year thousands of children die in Bangladesh due to lack of adequate sanitation and clean water and called upon the government and donors to increase the level of spending on water and sanitation to turn the situation positively.