An engineering response to the needs of Burmese refugees in Bangladesh

The influx of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar to Bangladesh constituted a major crisis, forcing drastic measures to improve water supplies in various refugee camps on the Teknaf peninsula. The Dumdumia camps, which where designed to accommodate 10,000 refugees each, where overwhelmed by 70,000 people who had settled in the camps and in impromptu shacks located along the road to Teknaf. Distance and low seasonal flow of springs in adjacent hills necessitated utilization of water, from streams running through the camps, as the principal means of providing minimum quantities of water for survival. Because the water was grossly polluted, the OXFAM Water Team in Teknaf was responsible for the installation of water filtration kits at each camp. OXFAM had installed similar kits in emergency situations in Africa, but this was the first time the kits were to be used in Asia. The report describes, in detail, the hardware used for the kits, the construction and technical procedures which had to be adapted to local conditions, the collaboration of Rohingya refugees who were trained to erect tanks and install fittings with minimum supervision, and the valuable lessons learned in the initial project. Emphasis was on the training of refugees, including women and locals, in the operation and maintenance of the treatment plants and associated facilities.