1. 1 Session 2.1.2 -“Accelerating WASH (Water Sanitation and Hygiene) Sector Reform and Improving Governance” Title: Micro-finance in expediting access to water, sanitation and hygiene improvement for the poor Presented by: Dr. Sadeque Institute of Microfinance (InM), Bangladesh

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3. 3 Up scaling micro-finance for WASH  Up scaling micro-finance and enhancing its poverty impact will be important factors in realizing the MDG goals towards accelerated poverty reduction  Access to this service has justifiably emerged as the most critical of issues at the interface of micro credit and WASH. But how compelling have been the poverty arguments for WASH? Where do policy windows come into play and how effectively have these been grasped?

4. 4 WASH disease- Global Scenario  Every year around 2.2 million children die from diarrhoeal related diseases. The majority of these diseases are transmitted as a result of poor quality drinking water, inappropriate hygiene practices or inadequate sanitary facilities. This rate is equivalent to one child dying every 15 seconds [WHO & UNICEF Global Water Supply and Sanitation Assessment 2000 Report (Geneva & New York: WHO/UNICEF, 2000) p. 2]

5. 5 Strategic challenge for the micro- finance sector to combine WASH  One of the strategic challenges is to combine micro-credit with other products such as water, sanitation and hygiene so as to magnify the eventual impact on poverty reduction.

6. 6 Exploring the reasons why expediting access to WASH improvement in microfinance  Better service-delivery particularly in the areas of health and education.  Reduction of leakage in targeted programmes  Reduction of income erosion threats to the poor due to improper application of services as for example if hygiene issues are not addressed properly the micro credit will not work up to expectation due to big drainage of income for health care.

7. 7 Way forward  Women borrowers have so far been the major actors in micro-credit and in addressing the above challenges, it is important that their needs and priorities remain critical drivers of the growth of the sector.

8. 8 Cont…..  All these can save 80 million USD spend per year for water and sanitation borne diseases in Bangladesh for which women and children are the worst sufferers.  World Water Forum 2009 could raise the voice to link micro credit for expediting access to water, sanitation and hygiene in Asia-Pacific and other countries where poverty is pervasive.

9. 9 Conclusion  So, the issue of involving micro finance with WASH is of pivotal importance and thus this particular perspective in the World Water Forum 2009 will focus how to involve development partners/government/non-government agencies in this integrated promotional approach through microfinance towards expediting access to water, sanitation and hygiene improvement which has environmental, social and economic impact on the poor.

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