Staff Reporter:
Bangladesh officially to join the UN Convention on the Protection and Use of Trans-boundary Water-courses and International Lakes (UN Water Convention), on June 20, becoming the first country in South Asia and the 56th globally to join the treaty.
As a deltaic nation with 57 trans-boundary rivers-most notably the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) system-Bangladesh’s water security, environmental sustainability, and regional stability depend heavily on effective cross-border water cooperation.
Rising sea levels, increasing salinity intrusion, and the fact that 65 million people still lack access to safely managed sanitation services underscore the urgent need for equitable and sustainable water gov-ernance.
The UN Water Convention offers a comprehensive legal and institutional framework to foster coopera-tion over shared surface and groundwater resources.
Bangladesh has actively engaged with the Convention since 2012 and participated in its 10th Meeting of the Parties held in Slovenia in 2024, said a press release of the Water Resources Ministry yesterday.
UN Secretary-Generel Ant›nio Guterres has called upon all UN member states to join and implement Convention.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Government of Bangladesh on Water Resources and Environment, Forest and Climate Change, remarked “Accession to the UN Water Convention is a landmark step for Bangladesh. Climate change, growing populations, and rising water demand require enhanced trans-boundary cooperation. The Convention will support us in developing more effective and inclusive water policies to ensure long-term water security.”
Bangladesh has longstanding bilateral water agreements and institutions, including the Joint Rivers Commission and the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty with India, and maintains cooperation with Nepal, China, and Bhutan.
Tatiana Molcean, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), wel-comed Bangladesh’s accession, stating, “This is a significant move for South Asia. The Convention is a critical instrument for strengthening cross-border water cooperation in a time of increasing climate pres-sure.”
Sonja Koeppel, Secretary to the UN Water Convention, congratulated Bangladesh and encouraged other South Asian nations and UN member states to join.
She reaffirmed the UN system’s support for Convention implementation, particularly in the lead-up to the next UN Water Conference, to be held from 2 to 4 December 2026 in the United Arab Emirates.
