RAJSHAHI, May 20, 2024 (BSS) - Integrity management has become crucial to ensure good governance in the water and sanitation sector for ensuring sound public health everywhere in the city.
 
Besides, utmost emphasis should be given on ensuring transparency, accountability and participation of all stakeholders in the service delivery activities for betterment of the consumers in general.
 
Experts and development activists came up with the observation while addressing an advocacy meeting at the conference hall of Rajshahi Water and Sewerage Authority (RWASA) here today.

On behalf of its 'Support for Enhancing Accountability in Water and Sanitation Sector to address risks of WASH' Project, Wave Foundation: Together for Better Life, and Water Integrity Network (WIN): Fighting corruption in water worldwide, organized the meeting.

Managing Director of RWASA Zakir Hossain addressed the meeting as focal person, while Deputy Director of Wave Foundation Kanij Fatema illustrated her organizational activities and Project Coordinator Lipi Amena gave an overview of the project along with its aims and objectives and implementation strategy.

Lipi Amena also presented findings of a research conducted on the city's water supply along with the extent of consumers' satisfaction.

Ward Councilors of Rajshahi City Corporation Sultana Ahmed Sagorika and Rabiul Islam and Deputy Chief Conservation Officer Selim Raza, Editor of Daily Sonar Desh Akbarul Hassan Millat, Director of Barendra Unnayan Prochesta Foyzullah Chowdhury and Regional Manager of NGO Forum for Public Health Rabiul Alam also spoke on the occasion.

Zakir Hossain told the meeting that the Government of Bangladesh has been implementing the National Integrity Strategy (NIS) to establish integrity in all sectors to achieve the sustainable development goals and targets.
 
So there is an opportunity to move forward by establishing integrity through increasing the capacity of utilities through the introduction of integrity management training.
 
Arranging such types of advocacy meetings with all stakeholders will make sure that the utilities are more accountable together with strengthening institutional governance.

Sharing and disseminating their respective expertise the open discussants unanimously mentioned that appropriate integrity consideration can be the crucial means of proper valuation of water.
 
Value of water is much more than its economic value because water has enormous value in terms of households, food, culture, health, education, economics and the integrity of the natural environment.
 
So, proper valuation of water along with its enhanced protection depends on the practice of integrity at all levels.