Dhaka Water: Thinking of a System-Side Solution

Poverty is deep-rooted in economic, political, and social processes in Bangladesh. The uneven ownership of productive assets, lack of skills and knowledge, inadequate development of infrastructure, frequent natural disasters, low levels of urbanization are the main causes of poverty.

Among the remedies for poverty reduction was infrastructure development, including improved and wider water supply in Dhaka, the capital city. 

In 2005, Asian Development Bank (ADB) struggled to craft a proposal that would make a difference to the people of Dhaka. Several projects have been implemented before, and all offered lessons that ADB could consider. There has to be an innovative, out-of-the-box solution that would respond to the pressing needs of the people--a solution that would appease the stakeholders with clashing interests.