The local heritage 'Dhopkols': Build back better water access in reducing gender-based vulnerabilities in Bangladesh

Water supply performance varies significantly in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, with low-income areas, including slums, being the worst hit. The study explores gender-based vulnerability and its impact on transgender and female-headed households securing safe drinking water. The study also assesses the community’s sense about restoring the crumbling, locally built, historic water reservoir, Dhopkol, to provide safe water for the marginalized communities. The study aims to align with SDG 10, designed to reduce inequality in basic services. Participatory Urban Appraisal (PUA) uses interviews and Focus Group, followed by thematic qualitative analysis. The findings show that transgender communities have been shunned by other water users who fear contamination from sharing their water supply. Moreover, having hand-tubewell is expensive and beyond their means, especially when income is stripped severely due to lockdowns in the coronavirus pandemic. Both participant groups seek the restoration of Dhopkol by WASA to ensure access to the water supply. Findings point to an urgent need to Build Back Better (BBB) due to the heightened inequality of water access caused by the pandemic. With public-private partnership (PPP) support, Rajshahi WASA can restore Dhopkol to attain gender equity in sustaining safe drinking water among marginalized communities for sustainable futures.