SANITATION IN A POOR SETTLEMENT IN BANGLADESH - A CHALLENGE FOR THE 1990S

The primary purpose of a water supply and sanitation project is to ach ieve an effective and sustainable improvement of the community environ ment. This paper presents the experiences gained in the evaluation of a water supply and sanitation project in a settlement in Dhaka where i mproved water supply, sanitary latrines and hygiene education were pro vided by a reputed international non-governmental organization. Water and latrine use practices by adults improved but latrines were maintai ned so poorly that concentrated pollution created a problem within the community. The people from the community were not provided with appro priate knowledge or a system of maintenance. Even though water supply and sanitation were given priority status, since they were not planned with a view to being sustainable, they failed to interrupt the enviro nmental contamination process.