Bangladesh has officially joined the UN Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, named UN Water Convention in short, recently as the first South Asian country.
Globally, Bangladesh is the 56th country to have joined the treaty, said a press release issued by the environment, forest, and climate change ministry on Tuesday.
Bangladesh acceded to the convention on 20 June.
The release read that as a deltaic nation with 57 transboundary rivers — most notably including the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna 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 governance, it continued.
Water resources and environment, forests and climate change adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan said that accession to the
UN Water Convention was a landmark step for Bangladesh.
‘Climate change, growing population, and rising water demand require enhanced transboundary cooperation,’ she said, adding, ‘The convention will support us in developing more effective and inclusive water policies to ensure long-term water security.’
Welcoming Bangladesh’s accession, Tatiana Molcean, executive secretary at the UN Economic Commission for Europe, said, ‘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 pressure.’
Congratulating Bangladesh, Sonja Koeppel, secretary to the UN Water Convention, encouraged other South Asian nations and UN member states to join the convention.
The UN Water Convention offers a comprehensive legal and institutional framework to foster cooperation 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.
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, the release added.
Source: newage