Assessing wash facilities across informal settlements in Dhaka

Abstract

This thesis examines the availability, accessibility, affordability, acceptability, and awareness/adaptability (5As) of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services in Korail Settlement and Geneva Camp, two informal settlements in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Using qualitative research based on 30 in-depth household interviews and 6 key informant interviews, the study explores WASH conditions, governance structures, and household coping strategies. The findings reveal that WASH deprivation is characterized not simply by a lack of facilities, but by unreliable, intermittent, costly, unsafe, and institutionally mediated access. Service provision operates through a hybrid governance system involving formal utilities, NGOs, community organizations, informal leaders, and households. Residents cope through water storage, rationing, informal purchasing, and self-repair, with women carrying a disproportionate burden of water collection, cleaning, and menstrual hygiene management. Differences between Korail and Geneva Camp reflect their distinct histories and forms of informality. The study recommends tenure-neutral WASH services, minimum service standards, pro-poor tariffs, and accountable long-term governance mechanisms.