Speakers at a Dhaka pre-COP dialogue urged placing water justice at COP30’s core through a “Just Water Partnership” to finance inclusive, climate-resilient WASH systems in Bangladesh, stressing equity, youth inclusion, and regional cooperation to confront growing climate-driven water crises.
Speakers at a pre-COP dialogue in Dhaka have urged global leaders to place water justice at the heart of COP30, calling for a “Just Water Partnership (JWP)” to finance fair, inclusive, and climate-resilient water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems in Bangladesh. They emphasized that equitable water governance, gender equality, youth inclusion, and regional cooperation must drive future water and climate actions.
The dialogue, titled “Just Water Partnership for Climate-Resilient WASH Systems in Bangladesh,” was held Sunday at a hotel in Gulshan, jointly organized by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN) and Simavi, in collaboration with EKN WASH Platform partners Red Orange, IRC WASH, BRAC, Max Foundation, and SNV, along with YouthNet Global and ICCCAD.
Experts warned that Bangladesh faces increasing water stress, with four districts officially declared as water-scarce zones, underscoring that the nation’s development future hinges on sustainable water management. Bangladesh has emerged as a regional leader in water governance, being the first South Asian country to join the UN Water Convention, while its High Court has recognized the right to water as a fundamental human right and declared rivers as living entities.
Eminent water expert Professor Ainun Nishat stressed that water justice must be rooted in equity, governance, and rights. “True resilience will only come when local communities are empowered to manage their water resources sustainably and inclusively,” he said.
Opening the dialogue, Inge Klaassen, First Secretary for Water and Climate at the Netherlands Embassy, said water and sanitation are not just development issues but the backbone of resilience in a changing climate. Raj Patra, Regional Representative for Asia at Simavi, presented the Just Water Partnership framework, introduced by the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, which advocates for justice-based water governance that benefits vulnerable communities and ecosystems.
During the session, Partha Hefaz Shaikh of WaterAid Bangladesh highlighted the importance of integrating WASH into Bangladesh’s NDC 3.0 priorities, while a lively panel discussion, moderated by Alok Kumar Majumder of Red Orange, explored how the JWP approach could guide national and local actions ahead of COP30.
In the interactive youth segment, Sohanur Rahman, Executive Coordinator of YouthNet Global, emphasized meaningful youth participation in shaping water policies. “Water programs without youth are not for the youth. Stakeholders must ensure youth inclusion in every decision-making level,” he said.
Concluding the event, Tariqul Islam, Country Director of Max Foundation, outlined next steps for collaboration under the EKN WASH Platform to strengthen climate-resilient water governance.
Participants agreed that achieving a Just Water Partnership is critical to ensuring fair access to WASH services, positioning water justice at the center of COP30, and empowering local and regional stakeholders to build a climate-resilient future for all.
