The Challenge of Water in Illegal Slums

"Barney Jopson reports on how WaterAid is bringing clean and legal water to the illegal slums of Dhaka in Bangladesh."

Public officials refuse to provide water to dwellers of illegal slum developments, and private companies profit by selling overpriced water to residents. New efforts to provide better access to pumps is driving costs down for residents.

"WaterAid estimates that over 1bn people do not have access to safe water while over 2.5bn lack adequate sanitation – many of them in urban slums. The organisation helps communities set up and manage their own water and sanitation systems."