Objective:

To ensure safe drinking water supply, improved sanitation, and hygiene in selected unions, which will lead to achieving Arsenic free communities/villages, use of improved sanitation and adoption of hygiene behaviour. Focuses on WASH system strengthening at District and Divisional levels and enriching private sector capacity for scaling-up access to improved WASH services.

Major Rask to be done by Implementing Agencies:

• Organize a Planning workshop and meeting with LGIs at the Local Level on the proposed Project Plan & Arsenic Safe union concept.
• Assist DPHE on Arsenic screening training, analysis and reporting.
• Community Social Mapping and CAP using community-led approaches.
• Facilitate equity-based site selection for safe water supply by DPHE, LGIs & Other stakeholders using agreed site selection criteria targeting the poor & unserved.
• Provide support to DPHE and LGIs through community mobilization during the installation of water facilities and sustainable O&M.
• Prepare and rehabilitate the existing non-functional community-based arsenic-safe water options.
• Capacity building of the DPHE, LGIs and communities on raising awareness on WASH issues including WSP, arsenic, sanitation and hygiene.
• Coordinate with relevant Govt. departments and stakeholders through quarterly/monthly meetings.
• Demonstrate arsenic-safe union models including Community-led total sanitation (CLTS) in selected unions.
•  Support setting adequate structures for sustainable management of services using community assets, NGOs or private sector

 Community Approaches to Total Sanitation (CATS) for achieving and sustaining Arsenic Safe Community

• Selection of communities
• Community Situation Analysis and Action Planning
• Pre-triggering
• Triggering
• Post-triggering monitoring
• Verification of Arsenic Safe community status: verification committees (union)
• Capacity building to LGIs and communities on raising awareness on WASH issues including WSP, arsenic, sanitation and hygiene.
• Certification: Arsenic safe communities
• Spread through LGIs, Natural leaders, and advocacy.

Key Stakeholders with this Project at the Local level

1. Upazila Administrations
2. Department of Public Health Engineering
3. Upazila WATSAN Committee
4. Union WATSAN Committee
5. Ward WATSAN Committee
6. Other WASH Actors
7. CBO