Bangladesh

Fresh, safe water is difficult to obtain in Bangladesh. In the past, most of the water obtained from open-dug wells and ponds was contaminated with water transmitting diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery, typhoid, cholera and hepatitis. A programme of drilling wells was initiated, but this has had the unexpected side effect of a new health problem - arsenic poisoning.

Wells were drilled into rocks, which were later discovered to contain unsafe levels of arsenic. This means that people are drinking contaminated water - which in high levels can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, and in low levels, over time, can lead to cancers of the skin, lungs and bladder. The government has been working hard with other organisations in a number of technical and advisory committees. These committees have been looking at ways of testing and treating arsenic-contaminated water.

Flooding Flooding is a fact of life for many people in Bangladesh. Some people feel that flooding has got worse since the 1980s as forests are cut down in the Himalayas, which results in more water running off from the mountains. Other people argue that the floods are made worse as water drainage channels silt up with mud. Whatever the cause, flooding is a major issue, and the government continues to work with external agencies to develop strategies to control floods and co-ordinate flood relief.