WASH Budget for FY22-23 lacks addressing reaching difficult areas and marginalised people: Experts

The proposed budget for WASH for FY2022-23 under the ADP lacks addressing reaching difficult areas and marginalized people, say experts.

At a press conference Tuesday (28 June), speakers addressed the budgetary allocations under safely managed sanitation, environment and capacity-building show a surprising decline in the WASH allocation under ADP budget FY22-23 in the proposed National Budget.

They raised concern this will slow down the country's effort to achieving SDGs targets by 2030. 

They said the proposed budget of FY2022-23 finds an upward trend in allocation in haor and hilly regions.

This spirit should be scaled up in coastal and char lands to ensure no one is left behind.

However, speakers stressed proper attention in selecting Annual Development Programme projects and the need to reduce the WASH allocation gap across rural and hard-to-reach areas.

They also identified the current budget falls short in addressing emerging challenges in the remote areas of marginalised communities. 

The conference was jointly arranged by WaterAid along with, PPRC, FANSA-BD, FSM Network, Bangladesh Water Integrity Network (BaWin), Sanitation and Water for All, End Water Poverty, MHM Platform, UNICEF and WASH Alliance International at National Press Club, Shegunbagicha, reads a press release.

An analysis by the Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC), in collaboration with WaterAid, found that the WASH ADP allocation increased by 5.44% compared to an overall ADP increase of 7.5%. The total WASH Budget in ADP budget in the proposed budget is Tk118.2 billion of Tk2,460.66 billion of ADP allocation.  

Though there have been some positive steps to address spatial inequities, there is little consistency across the sector.

Haor and hilly areas have received positive attention, but not chars and coastal areas.

Meanwhile, intra-urban inequities persist. The speakers remommended bringing more consistency to the spatial allocation of WASH ADP.

The decline in FSM allocation will hinder the aim to increase sanitation coverage across the country meeting.

A further suggestion was made to review the proposed budget and examine this issue more closely and ensure increased FSM allocation to address the emerging WASH challenges, said the speakers. 

There is a slightly increased allocation to hygiene seen as a positive step, but implementing it through the ministry of health alone will not portray the required results for the entire country.

A multi-agency holistic policy approach should be adopted as a priority. 

Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, eminent economist, executive chairman, PPRC and Hossain Ishrath Adib, acting country director of WaterAid, and representatives from WASH networks spoke at the programme among other WASH specialists, including journalists and development workers.