Feasibility Study of Solar Desalination Device
to Solve Drinking Water Salinity of Coastal
Bangladesh
The escalating salinity crisis in Bangladesh’s coastal region has impacted the lives of over 43 million inhabitants. The climate change impacts including increasing salinity levels, saline water intrusion into surface water and groundwater, have threatened the safe drinking water access of this coastal community. This study proposes a home based solar desalination device that uses solar energy to desalinate and purify water. The primary objective of this research is to assess the feasibility of the desalination device as a sustainable solution to the drinking water salinity problem for the coastal Bangladesh. To conduct this feasibility study, Khulna, one of the most salinity affected coastal districts, was chosen as study area. The research methodology began with comprehensive field surveys using participatory research methods to understand the social acceptance towards the solar dealination device. Utilizing questionnaire surveys, Focus Group Discussions (FGD), Key Informant Interviews (KII), resource mapping and data collection on water usage, socio-demographic characteristics, and perceptions related to existing water quality, a holistic overview of the study area was obtained. The results from the field visits and market research indicated an urgent need for cost-effective water desalination technologies tailored to the marginalized coastal communities. Based on the results, about 68% of users expressed satisfaction after using solar desalination devices. The results of the study indicated the potential of solar desalination as a promising solution to the salinity issue.
