Bangladesh: Building community water resilience

ORGANISATION
Friendship

LOCATION
South Puijhala village, Sreeula Union, Assasuni Upazila, Satkhira, Bangladesh

Facing a growing water crisis

In the low-lying coastal belt of Satkhira, access to safe drinking water has long been a struggle. Rising salinity, erratic rainfall, and limited fresh groundwater have made clean water increasingly scarce. Many tube wells now draw brackish, undrinkable water, while the few deep wells that still produce fresh water cannot sustainably meet community demand. The growing crisis has forced families – especially women and children – to travel long distances each day in search of safe water, often at great physical and financial cost.

An innovative, climate-resilient solution

To address this urgent need, Friendship introduced an innovative multi-source water supply system in June 2025 at South Puijhala village, with support from Friendship Luxembourg. The system combines three complementary water sources to ensure year-round access:

• Groundwater, drawn through a tube well;
• Rainwater, harvested from building rooftops during the monsoon; and
• surface water, collected from a nearby pond.

Since rainwater is the most preferred source for its taste and purity, the system prioritises collection and storage during the rainy season. Reverse osmosis (RO) technology is used to treat both pond and groundwater, ensuring that safe, potable water is available even during dry months when rainfall is limited.

Building resilience through smart water management

This integrated system provides a reliable, flexible supply of drinking water for the entire community while reducing pressure on fragile groundwater reserves. By diversifying sources, it minimises the risk of total water shortages and mitigates the impacts of both salinity and climate variability.

The system’s success depends on more than technology – it relies on good governance, local participation, and sustainable financing. To ensure long-term operation, Friendship has supported community members to form water user groups, trained local technicians to maintain the RO plant and filters, and established a modest fee system to cover maintenance and energy costs.

Challenges and lessons learned

While the benefits are clear, the approach also requires ongoing care and coordination. Rainwater supplies fluctuate with changing climate patterns, pond water must be regularly cleaned and protected from contamination, and RO units depend on consistent power, periodic filter replacement, and proper waste management.

To sustain these gains, continued investment in community capacity, water quality monitoring, and ecosystem restoration – such as pond conservation and aquifer recharge – is essential.

A model for climate adaptation

The South Puijhala multi-source water plant now stands as a symbol of innovation and resilience. It has not only improved public health and reduced the burden on women fetching water, but it has also inspired nearby communities to explore similar solutions.

This initiative demonstrates how modest but well-planned investment in disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation can transform daily life. By combining technical innovation with local ownership, Friendship is helping ensure that coastal communities can access safe water – today and into an uncertain climate future.

This International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, GNDR calls for governments, donors, the private sector and financial institutions to prioritise funding for resilience, not just funding for disasters when they strike.

All photos: Friendship