In the climate-vulnerable coastal belt of Bangladesh, access to safe drinking water is not only a basic need but it is a daily struggle due to rising salinity, extreme weather events and shrinking freshwater resources. Mollapara is a neighborhood of about 250 families in Vamia village under Shyamnagar upazila of Satkhira district which represents this struggle. Yet it also tells a remarkable story of how women stepped forward to lead, manage and sustain a community water system which transforming vulnerability into resilience.
A Village fighting with Water Scarcity
Communities across coastal Bangladesh face chronic water insecurity due to recurring cyclones, tidal surges and riverbank erosion. Each disaster weakens embankments and allows saline water to attack ponds, rivers and croplands. Once freshwater sources become saline, they remain unusable for months even sometimes years.
For Mollapara, Cyclone Aila in 2009 marked a devastating shift. The cyclone contaminated the village’s main pond, which had long been the primary source of drinking and cooking water for all 250 families. A Pond Sand Filter (PSF) was located beside the pond but in the absence of a structured community management system it quickly deteriorated. Without proper oversight, it became nonfunctional and the entire community without a viable source of safe water.
As the crisis deepened, it was women who suffered the most. Traditionally women are responsible for collecting water and forced to walk several kilometers every day, sometimes twice or thrice a day to get drinking water from distant sources. The journey was exhausting, time-consuming and often unsafe. Household chores, childcare and income-generating work all suffered as the burden on women grew heavier.
CCDB Steps: Empowering Women to Lead
To address the acute drinking water crisis in Mollapara, Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh (CCDB) introduced a gender-responsive, locally led solution that placed women at the center of climate resilience. Under its “Bring Women in Action” approach, CCDB empowered women to engage in climate adaptation and community governance by facilitating the installation of a new Pond Sand Filter (PSF) in 2017 and forming a 30-member Women-led Management Committee responsible for ensuring its sustainability. The committee developed written guidelines, set water-use rules and introduced a monthly household contribution of BDT 10 to fund repairs, filter media replacement and technical servicing, while also leading community meetings to resolve disputes and ensure equitable access. As a result, the PSF has remained fully functional—an uncommon achievement in many coastal villages—benefiting approximately 250 households (1,000–1,200 people), reducing women’s long walks of over 1 km to collect water, and generating a monthly community fund of BDT 2,500 to support long-term maintenance, with cleaning conducted every six months. This success demonstrates the effectiveness of women’s leadership and community ownership in sustaining climate-resilient water systems.
Women Rising as Leaders of Resilience
The transformation in Mollapara is a powerful example of how women when given space, voice and responsibility they can effectively lead climate adaptation efforts. The Women-led Management Committee did more than manage water; they strengthened bonds, reduced conflicts and built trust within the community.
Women who once walked miles for water now take pride in managing a system that supports the entire village. Many committee members report increased confidence, improved decision-making skills and greater respect from their families and neighbors. Their leadership has also inspired younger girls in the community, showing them that women’s roles extend far beyond the household.
Impacts
The impact of women’s participation in water governance has been both practical and transformational. Key achievements include:
- Women now hold primary decision-making roles in managing the PSF which marking a major shift in traditional gender dynamics.
- Transparent governance ensures that every family receives fair access to safe drinking water.
- Regular maintenance and community contributions keep the PSF operational throughout the year.
- Families no longer need to walk long distances for water, significantly lowering household stress and time burden.
- Collective management has reduced conflicts and improved unity among community members.
- Contributes to SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) by ensuring sustainable access to safe, community-managed drinking water.
- Advances SDG 5 (Gender Equality) by placing women in leadership and decision-making roles.
- Supports SDG 13 (Climate Action) by enhancing locally driven resilience against salinity and climate-induced shocks.
- Reflects principles of Locally Led Adaptation (LLA) through community-led decision-making, financing, and system maintenance.
A Model for Locally Led Adaptation
Mollapara’s story offers important lessons for Bangladesh and other climate-vulnerable regions. It shows that locally led adaptation is not only more effective but also more sustainable when women are at the forefront. When women lead, equitable systems arise, communities become more resilient and adaptation measures last longer.
The Women-led Management Committee of Mollapara stands as an inspiring example of how participatory water governance can transform a community’s climate resilience. Their leadership shows that adaptation is not just about technology it is about people, cooperation, and the courage to take charge of one’s future.
Celebrating Women in Climate Action
As the world seeks strategies to cope with water scarcity, rising salinity and climate-induced vulnerabilities, Mollapara shines as a beacon of hope. Here, women have proven that they are not just beneficiaries of climate interventions but they are leaders, decision-makers and powerful agents of change.
Their journey reminds us that when women lead, communities thrive. Their resilience, determination and leadership exemplify the very spirit of Women in Climate Action a celebration of strength, innovation and the transformative power of inclusive governance.
Author:
Md. Ashrafuzzaman Khan
Interim Coordinator – Resilience Building
Climate Change Program, CCDB
Date: 02nd June 2026
