Assignment Name: Endline Study on “Climate Resilience WASH Programming in Coastal Areas of Bangladesh

Country: Bangladesh

Client Name: Water Aid Bangladesh

The “Climate Resilience WASH Programming in Coastal Areas of Bangladesh” project, implemented by WaterAid with support from Unilever under the Project Laser Beam initiative, aimed to enhance the resilience of vulnerable coastal communities in Satkhira District to climate-related challenges affecting water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). The project specifically targeted 11 unions within two Upazilas, focusing on improving WASH infrastructure and practices, influencing local policy, and increasing community engagement in sustainable practices. The project’s strategic actions included increasing access to safe water, promoting improved sanitation facilities, and enhancing hygiene behaviors among the communities, especially in schools where significant interventions were made to improve facilities and hygiene education.

DM WATCH was assigned to understand the extent of WASH knowledge of poor and climate vulnerable population in coastal, demand of context-specific water supply and sanitation services and comprehend the role of local government in addressing WASH needs of the poor and climate vulnerable population in the communities. Primary data was collected through household survey, focus group discussion and KII. The study covered community people, union parishad chairman, UP member, school teacher, word councilor, related govt. officials, Union WATSAN committee/Union Disaster Management Committee, representative of NGOs working to promote WASH, DPHE Engineer, and project management staff etc. A total of 605 households surveyed during for the endline evaluation. In addition, the study used qualitative tools such as FGD and KII. The consultant also prepared 4 Case studies to better understand and document the challenges and learnings.

DM WATCH was engaged to carry out the endline evaluation of the “Climate Resilience WASH Programming in Coastal Areas of Bangladesh” to assess the effectiveness of interventions and progress towards project goals. The comprehensive evaluation was conducted encompassing a mix of quantitative and qualitative methodologies:

• Quantitative Survey: DM WATCH conducted a structured survey involving 605 households across 55 wards of 11 unions. The survey aimed to assess changes in access to safe water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene practices compared to baseline levels.
• Qualitative Assessment: In-depth qualitative data were gathered through 8 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), 13 Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), and 4 case studies in randomly selected unions to gain nuanced insights into the community’s perception of the project’s impact.
• Water Quality Testing: To ensure the reliability of WASH facilities, 60 water samples were collected and tested for arsenic, iron, and fecal coliform levels, comparing the safety of water sources at both facility and household levels.
• Data Analysis and Reporting: The collected data were meticulously analyzed to triangulate findings from different sources, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the project’s outcomes. A detailed report was compiled, highlighting key achievements and areas for further improvement in WASH practices and infrastructure.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Throughout the evaluation, DM WATCH facilitated interactions with project beneficiaries, local government officials, and other stakeholders to validate findings and gather additional feedback to inform the comprehensive report.