Deltalink, Socio-Technical Development in the Delta: An Experimental Approach to Water Related Needs

Bangladesh is one of the poorest and densely populated deltas in the world. Due to institutional and financial limitations of the central government as well as past failures of the conventional top-down approach we suggest bottom-up strategies to increase the communities' ability to manage their own vulnerabilities. In a rural setting, these are typically the adverse effects of annual floods, contaminated drinking water, food insecurity, etc. The situation is further deteriorated by external forces such as natural disasters (cyclones or extreme floods) and market fluctuations (for example the decline of jute and textile industries). A strategy will be devised to address the provision of basic needs and to increase livelihood security in an integral way, using local knowledge and resources as a basis for development. This should combine solutions to urgent problems at the local level that could trigger long-term socio-economic development. Solutions should also have generic qualities so that they can be replicated in other areas, which might perhaps have a positive impact on the delta as a whole. Our approach is directed towards building a link between parties that are interested in improving the above-mentioned water-related issues. The goal is not to solve the problems but to provide a means to catalyse the development process. It includes two elements. First, a technological and institutional toolkit will compile the different traditional and external technologies, infrastructural solutions, organisational options into an online platform for collaboration, DeltaLink. Secondly, a strategy is outlined in which utilization of the DeltaLink platform by development professionals, NGOs and other organisations interested in participatory development in the water sector of Bangladesh is addressed