Sanitation demand and supply situation in rural Bangladesh

Abstract

The long-term viability of sanitation producers in Bangladesh depends on their ability to meet the demands of consumers who intend to construct, improve or replace their toilets; providing flexible design and price options while also diversifying their business portfolios. Strengthening the supply chain for sanitation products and services in rural Bangladesh requires: working with potentially viable rural sanitation producers, tailored capacity building, business diversification, quality assurance, access to financing, guidance on sanitation options and fair prices. Many people, including the poor, are willing to pay for good sanitation that will satisfy their needs and desires if these products and services are affordable, packaged and marketed appropriately, and if they are easily accessible. To understand current and potential demand and supply for sanitation in rural Bangladesh, iDE and BRAC with support from IRC undertook a rapid assessment in eight upazilas in Bangladesh. These included flood prone, water scarce, high water table, hilly and coastal areas and differed in terms of poverty levels, accessibility and programme interventions (WASH I and WASH II areas). The rapid assessment combined consumer (demand) and market (supply) research based on the ‘marketing mix’: Price, Product, Promotion and Place. The results of the research were visualized with aid of a ‘traffic light dashboard’ to visualize the match and/ or mismatch between supply and demand. This section summarizes the main findings from the assessment.