SUSTAINABLE WATER TECHNOLOGIES FOR HOUSING REHABILITATION IN COASTAL BANGLADESH

Abstract

Displaced communities living in housing rehabilitation projects in coastal Bangladesh often lack access to safe drinking water. Adverse climatic conditions, vulnerable geographic locations, and poor resource management make the scenario worse. Different water technologies have been inbuilt and installed in these projects, but most have proven unsustainable so far. Therefore, finding the most suitable water technology for these communities remains a key challenge in making these settlements sustainable. In this regard, the research first explores globally available water technologies that use different coastal water sources. Based on this, it seeks to identify the sustainability features of each selected water technology – suitable for the aforementioned coastal conditions. A narrative review process was used to review secondary literature and materials systematically. Relevant websites, journals, and conferences related to sustainable water supply and management were also examined. Findings suggest that sustainability parameters differ for water technologies in terms of different water sources. Rather than using a single water source-based technology, a combination based on a specific context should work better. Findings from this study can be used as a starting point for assessing the sustainability of water technologies in housing rehabilitation projects and retrofitted in possible cases.