BAWIN is a multi-stakeholder network of organizations, institutions, and individuals from the civil society in Bangladesh, who are committed to promoting integrity practices among the water sector institutions. The network has no legal identity and is hosted by a member NGO that extends essential administrative supports to it, mostly on a voluntary basis. BAWIN acts mainly as an umbrella body of its members at national and sub-national levels and is focused on research, advocacy, and campaign on the issues of integrity in water management.

The journey started in 2009 with inspiration and thematic support from WIN and assistance from Transparency International (TI). Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) volunteered to host the secretariat of the network from 2009 to mid-2017, until the NGO Forum for Public Health took over that responsibility. In between 2009 and 2013, with technical support from WIN, BAWIN was trying to take its shape almost as a program within TIB with a focus on the issue of corruption in the management of water services.

Under a five-country program financed by the Directorate General for Development Cooperation (DGIS), WIN supported the operation of BAWIN from 2014 to early 2017. The fund enabled BAWIN to continue its existence and to undertake some key activities related to Water Integrity, and establish an integrity analysis of the sector in the country. One of those introduced the Integrity Management (IM) tools to Khulna Water Supply & Sewerage Authority (KWASA), for the first time in the country.

The goal of the program is to ensure the rights of the people, especially of the poor and the vulnerable groups, to have access to safe water for life and livelihood. The specific objectives are to:

• Influence changes in the public policy process that promotes integrity in the water sector in Bangladesh;
• Strengthen the capacities of the local government institutions, Water utilities and other public/autonomous water service providers in managing Water Integrity issues; and
• Promote local initiatives facilitating improved quality of services in the water sector, with attention on the aspects of accessibility and inclusiveness. The thematic priorities of the program includes WASH, Sanitation, Urban Water Management, Waste Management, Irrigation, Climate Change, Social Accountability, Local Governance, Civic Engagement, and Gender.

Introduction of Integrity Management (IM) tools
Since 2014, we have been implementing an Integrity Management Project with the Water Supply and Sewerage Authorities of three cities: Khulna (KWASA), Chittagong (CWASA), and Rajshahi (RWASA).

Khulna WASA & Chattogram WASA boosting service delivery through integrity management

KWASA initiated a change process in cooperation with NGO Forum, BAWIN, and WIN using Integrity Management Toolbox; as a result KWASA could achieve shortening time between water connection request and connection, digitalization and regularization of the billing procedure, and a new e-procurement platform.

In 2018, CWASA developed an integrity roadmap which has helped to strengthen accountability mechanisms in the field inspection process. CWASA has also improved the mechanism for customer complaints by moving to a digital system. Subsequently, implementing District Metering Area (DMA) to reduce Non-Revenue Water (NRW).

• Since 2017, WIN has been financing a project titled ‘Integrity in school WASH’ in association with DORP (a member organization of BAWIN) in two hard-to-reach Upazilas under Bhola and Laxmipur districts.
• In early 2017, BAWIN & TI-B conducted a study titled ‘Use and Effectiveness of Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) in the Garments Industry of Bangladesh: a Water Sector Integrity Perspective’. The study findings explored the integrity concerns around the implementation of laws to protect water bodies from industrial pollution.

Policy Advocacy

BAWIN strengthen its efforts for policy advocacy at the national level since 2019, where mass media houses played a noteworthy supportive role. The major events held in 2019 and 2020 on the issues around WASH Governance and Integrity for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) successfully involved key institutional actors like the Honorable Minister, LGRD&C and the Managing Directors of the Khulna WASA, Chattogram WASA, and Dhaka WASA.