In southern coastal Bangladesh, rising freshwater salinity due to climate change threatens over 20 million people with drinking water scarcity, causing health issues like hypertension and preeclampsia, especially among vulnerable populations. Traditional solutions, including centralised water systems and household-level treatments, have proven ineffective, leading to the proposal of a new entrepreneurial approach involving small-scale reverse osmosis (RO) plants. This model, developed with BRAC (a leading NGO)'s support, empowers local entrepreneurs with training and microfinance to establish water businesses. Each RO plant costs about $10,000 and serving 400 households. This project will conduct a randomised controlled trial to measure its effects on water access, health, and economic outcomes, using detailed household and entrepreneur surveys in treatment and control communities. The research team will assess water quality and quantity, analysing features of the water market, followed by collecting data on socioeconomic and health outcomes.
A Scalable Entrepreneurship Model to Address Drinking Water Scarcity in Coastal Bangladesh
