Problem Identification and Solution Generation through PRA Tools

Each of the wards in Dhaka city is unique from both of its social and physical nature and life here is also full of complexities. People living in these wards face various problems in their day to day life and most of the time they failed to find a way out. Ward no. 38 of Dhaka city has some spatial importance as various government administrative centers including Prime Minister’s office are located here, though most of the local residents are from the middle income groups of the city. In this study, different PRA (Participatory Rural Appraisal) tools have been used to identify the problems faced by the people of ward no. 38 as a community. Though PRA tools are usually used for rural areas, through this research, an attempt has been made to apply these approaches in an urban community of Bangladesh. Local people have recognized lack of gas supply, lack of pure drinking water and poor road condition as the major problems in this area. Later, the nature and extent of these problems, causes behind them and their effects, the desires of the community people, their perceptions and recommendations for solving all these difficulties have been revealed using a variety of PRA tools.