By S.M Jannatul Naeem from Shyamnagar, Satkhira
In coastal Shyamnagar, access to safe drinking water has become a daily struggle, particularly for women and children. Women often walk long distances carrying pitchers and buckets to collect drinking water, while many families struggle with increasingly saline ponds, declining groundwater levels and the loss of freshwater sources.
Climate change, cyclones, tidal intrusion and the expansion of shrimp farming have intensified salinity in the area. Women and children bear much of the burden, affecting their health, education and livelihoods. Women suffer from skin problems and other health risks from prolonged exposure to saline water, while some girls miss school to collect water.
Local communities said that although water surrounds their communities, safe drinking water remains scarce. Women such as Shefali Begum and Bishakha Mondal described the physical and economic hardships caused by the shortage of freshwater.
BARCIK and local youth organizations are working with communities to address the crisis through the restoration of community ponds, rainwater harvesting and protection of freshwater sources and promotion of sustainable water management.
Community members are calling for the restoration and protection of canals, removal of encroachment from freshwater sources, renovation of public ponds and construction of new ponds in water-scarce villages. They also urge reduced dependence on groundwater and greater emphasis on equitable and sustainable water management.
For coastal communities, freshwater is more than a resource. It is essential to health, dignity and survival.