Factors Affecting Drinking Water Security in South-Western Bangladesh

Abstract

Factors affecting water security in rural south-western Bangladesh were assessed using an interdisciplinary approach: evaluating national water security by analysis of water indices and parameters and by comparison to another Asian country; investigating water quality and access to ascertain local water security; and using remote sensing to evaluate land use change. Water indices were found to oversimplify assessments of national water security, obscuring important details, such as governance, seasonal water availability and lack of infrastructure. The water quality investigation showed that residents of a coastal polder lacked access to safe drinking water due to the presence of arsenic, salinity, and various other contaminants. Access to safe water year-round was hampered by lack of freshwater during the dry season; proximity and time of water collection; lack of treatment options; and unreliable sources due to lack of maintenance and ineffective management of water resources. Use of Landsat data and change detection based on supervised classification results proved ineffective in evaluating water security based on the conversion of rice paddy to shrimp farms, but was effective in distinguishing changes in mangrove forests.