Handbook on climate change and disaster resilient water, sanitation and hygiene practices

This handbook focuses on safe water supply, sanitation and hygiene practice and considers specifically the rural context of Bangladesh. It (i) presents the basic concepts of disaster risk and climate change; (ii) explains the basic concepts of safe water, sanitation and hygiene; (iii) discusses the regional variations in the effects of climate change affects and disaster risks in the context Bangladesh; (iv) discusses the adverse impacts of climate change and disaster on natural, social and health environment; and (v) discusses existing national policy structures and institutional system for ensuring safe water, sanitation and hygiene practice as well the strategies to cope with the climate change and disaster induced uncertainties.

This handbook is intended to help governmental and non-governmental agencies involved in safe water, sanitation hygiene at local level, union and ward disaster management committee, in particular, enhance their respective capacities to cope climate change and disaster risks. It uses information and statements from reports and documents published by the Government of Bangladesh and the IPCC and deliberately simplifies complicated issues about climate change and disaster risk so that the intended users can understand the concepts easily – for example, global warming, inter-relation between climate change and disaster risk, geo-environmental regions in Bangladesh.