Interventions required to improve WASH status in temporary makeshifts camps in Punakha

Lunana and Laya villages lies in the extreme northwest of the country bordering with Tibet and is located at an altitude of above 3400m above sea level. Due to the extreme cold climate during winter, these two communities migrate down to lower altitude valley of Punakha where it is much warmer. They make temporary makeshift camps in open space in the harvested paddy fields and allow free grazing of the horses and mules. In about 32 makeshift camps spread over few villages in Punakha, the approximate population would be around 230 people with an age range of few months old to an elderly of 75 years.

With a nomadic livelihood lifestyle, these people fully depend on the products of yaks for their living. Therefore, there income would be just subsistence for living only. They sell butter, cheese and other yak products to the local communities and in return collects rice, chilies and other food items.

During their temporary settlement in the lower valley of Punakha, due to the temporary nature of living, there is no arrangements for WASH facilities. Toilet and other WASH facilities were not their priority when they are living in the makeshift shelters. Due to their temporary nature of settlement and moreover these settlements are in somebody else’s land, they do not want to invest for better infrastructures or otherwise they are not also allowed construct permanent infrastructures by the land owners. Besides a few pit toilets, many do not have toilet facility and uses nearby bushes for defecation. Open defecation is rampant and people are getting used to such behavior. Their water supply was very unreliable and often gets disconnected and leave these settlements without water for days. Since their settlement is temporary and only for a few months, none of the agencies have initiated any WASH related programs.

Therefore, from the WASH perspective, these groups are found to be vulnerable, where interventions are required in order to improve their WASH status. This kind of situation is an opportunity for agency like Bhutan Toilet Organization to plan a program in collaboration with other stakeholders.