Assessment of the SDG 6 (Bangladesh)

Sylhet is one of the most densely populated divisions in Bangladesh. People from different parts of the division come to Sylhet in search of livelihood. Due to a lack of good accommodation facilities and lack of ability to afford, people in rural areas tend to live in slums or colonies. The majority of these slums lack adequate drinking water and sanitary amenities. Goal 6 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is to ensure access to clean drinking water and sufficient sanitation facilities by 2030. This study has been conducted to understand the scenario of achieving SDG targets 6.1 and 6.2 in Kuchai Union Parishad, Sylhet. A survey was done in 4 slums located in the research region to understand the drinking water and sanitation facilities the slum-dwellers had. According to the criteria established by the WHO, the service levels of the drinking water and sanitation facilities were divided into 5 separate groups. The slum-dwellers were interviewed with the help of a questionnaire and the answers were recorded.
Comparing the answers with the relevant conditions set, each household was categorized into different service levels. The proportion of different service levels was then analyzed. This study shows that about 85% of the people in the study area have access to a drinking water facility that is securely maintained. However, the assessment of the sanitary facilities in this research region raises alarms. The basic sanitation service is accessible to only 4.8% of the population. Most of the slum residents in the study area appeared to have access to a low degree of sanitary services. Some recommendations regarding the improvement of the service levels were provided at the end of the study