Sources, consumption patterns and challenges assessment of freshwater in the coastal regions of Bangladesh

The entire coastal Bangladesh faces significant challenges in maintaining a consistent supply of freshwater due to salinity intrusion and various climatic hazards. This study aimed to assess the sources, consumption patterns, and challenges in freshwater management across three coastal villages. Bagerhat, Khulna and Satkhira Districts were purposively selected based on their proximity to the coastline, categorized as shoreline, interim, and inland areas. Total 338 households were surveyed using simple random sampling to gather data through self-determined questionnaires. Additionally, three group discussions (GDs) and sixteen key informant interviews (KIIs) were conducted to explore the challenges and possible solutions. In the shoreline area, most respondents primarily utilized pond sand filter (PSF) water during the winter and rainwater in the rainy season for drinking purposes. In contrast, inland respondents relied on tube-wells and sono arsenic filter (SAF) water in the winter and rainwater during the rainy season. Furthermore, tube-wells were the predominant source used in the interim area during both seasons. The mean water consumption pattern exhibited an upward trend from winter to rainy season. The mean duration of the freshwater crisis was found to increase from the shoreline to inland area, showing shoreline (24.62)>interim (23.59)> inland (16.57). The trend of mean weighted average index (WAI) indicating sources of pollution was higher in the inland area (0.409) compared to the interim (0.389) and shoreline (0.365) area. The study recommends that immediate measures will be taken to ensure continuous access to freshwater, as the crisis is likely to worsen in the near future.