Sweden, Unicef to empower teens, ensure safe water in Bangladesh

GBNEWS24DESK//

One grant will improve water safety, sanitation and hygiene for children, women and communities, while a second focuses on empowering adolescents, particularly from marginalised communities, according to a press release.

While Bangladesh has made significant progress towards improving drinking water and eliminating the risk of arsenic contamination, there are still challenges to overcome.

“Our goal is a Bangladesh where every child has access to safe and clean water, basic toilets, and good hygiene practices so that all children can thrive and have a healthier start in life,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF representative to Bangladesh.

With previous support from Sweden, UNICEF has developed practical and innovative models for arsenic free water systems.

The Government of Bangladesh will now scale up these models by investing $240 million of its own budget into arsenic-safe water hardware.

This will improve the water safety for 20 million people – 5.4 million of them children – in highly arsenic-affected rural areas.

The new $2 million contribution from Sweden represents the bridging phase of a larger contribution and will enable UNICEF to provide the technical assistance which will ensure that the new systems meet national safety standards.

Arsenic is a naturally occurring metallic element found in some ground water. It can cause skin lesions, cancer, and developmental and cognitive damage to children.

Methods to tackle the problem include drilling deeper wells and substituting high arsenic ground water with other suitable water sources, such as rainwater and treated surface water.