Bangladesh faces up to climate change
10 September 2008
Drinking up the Monsoons
During the Monsoon season in Bangladesh, it rains all day, every day. The
Monsoons bring with them any number of problems, including waterlogged land,
swollen rivers and endless mud.
But there is a silver lining courtesy of a simple rain harvesting system.
Bangladesh’s Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme, which is funded by
DFID and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has installed around
1,000 of the rain harvesters across the sub-district of Shymnagar. These devices
collect water from a corrugated metal roof and funnel it into a large plastic
container.
For those who don’t have access to a rain harvester, the alternative is to
collect drinking water from a nearby pond or river. Water-borne diseases mean
that living with diarrhoea and stomach upsets is a way of life for the people of
Shymnagar. If everyone in
the area is to be free of these preventable conditions, an additional 20,000
devices are still needed.
The Ranimondols are one of the families who are already reaping the benefits of
the harvesters.
Daughter-in-law Namita Ranimondol, 30, says: "I was brought up in another area
where there was fresh water but I moved to this area about ten years ago when I
got married.
"My father’s house had very good drinking water nearby but the water here wasn't
so good. We've had this rainwater harvester for about a year now. Before this
was installed we used to take water from an open pond or I’d have to walk
3
kilometres to get to a clean source.
"Now, during the Monsoon season, we have clean water all the time."
Namita says drinking the rainwater has had a major impact on the health of the
entire family.
She says: "We don’t get sick anymore. Before, I was suffering from diarrhoea and
stomach upsets all the time. It’s different now though.
"It rained at 10am this morning. Most people don’t like the rain but I am
pleased when I hear the rain coming!"
Links
- Bangladesh country profile
- How we fight poverty: Climate
- Degrees of separation: Poverty and climate change
