FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY STUDY OF RAINWATER USE IN THE SOUTHWEST COASTAL AREA OF BANGLADESH

Abstract

Water Scarcity is hampering in every sphere of the lives of the people living in the coastal area of Bangladesh. Though there were ample government interventions to bring about a positive change, but these interventions lacked efficiency and sustainability. This Study represents the feasibility and acceptability of harvested rainwater in rural communities of Bangladesh as well as costal area, using simple and modern technology. As a part of this study, a field survey was conducted in the water-scarce of costal area. 33 places in different five unions of Shyamnagar upazilla were selected for conducting questionnaire survey. A questionnaire was developed to know some information such as the socioeconomic condition, family information, housing condition, sanitation condition, health condition, economic condition, existing water supply condition, knowledge about rainwater, willingness to accept rainwater, etc. almost three thousand two hundred people from different family were selected randomly. Secondary data was also collected to know the actual rainwater availability and storage conditions, which were used to justify the effective tank size. Only the roof of public buildings including mosque, UP office, School, College etc. are consider as the catchment for rain water harvesting. Feasibility analysis was performed using the survey results and the research findings. The study showed that the rainwater harvesting technique was feasible and acceptable to the people in the coastal area as the only potential alternative source of safe drinking water. Keywords— Coastal, Rainwater, Scarcity, Harvested