Bangladesh is confronting a range of escalating water challenges, including declining groundwater levels in drought-prone regions and increasing salinity combined with frequent cyclones along the coastal belt. Addressing these issues will demand locally tailored solutions, improved access to climate finance, and more robust systems for maintenance and accountability.
On September 24, a roundtable titled “Financing Bangladesh’s Climate Resilient Water Future: Youth Innovation and Action Towards COP31” was convened by WaterAid Bangladesh and The Business Standard in Dhaka. The event brought together policymakers, community representatives, youth innovators, development specialists, and financial sector officials to discuss youth-led climate action and innovations in water management, focusing on scalable solutions ahead of COP31.
MD Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee, Minister of Water Resources, emphasized the importance of ecosystem restoration and major infrastructure projects like the Padma Barrage to address salinity intrusion. He underscored the critical role youth and innovators play in these efforts.
Representatives from vulnerable communities provided insights into local impacts. Md Iliyas Hosen, a youth representative from Satkhira, described severe water scarcity in salinity-affected areas such as Gabura and Padmapukur, worsened by recurrent cyclones. Abu Bokkor Sadhin from Naogaon raised alarms about the urgent need to tackle groundwater depletion, which threatens both agriculture and public health.
Private sector and NGO voices highlighted technological and financial dimensions. Ashraf Islam Ashfaq, COO of Aquivira, spoke about obstacles faced by non-electric gravity water purifiers and called for youth-led hardware innovations to improve commercial viability. WaterAid Bangladesh’s Country Director, Azman Ahmed Chowdhury, pointed to the necessity of bridging ambitious policies with practical realities on the ground, advocating for climate finance that is both accessible and flexible.
Several participants stressed incorporating community voices into governance frameworks to enhance accountability. Zarif Oeishik and Shaheena Mumtaz, both WaterAid Bangladesh Global Young Leaders, advocated for integrating local perspectives into policy formulation and implementation. Research professionals like Raisa Habib from INT-BUET and Jasmima Sabatina from CEGIS emphasized the need to close gaps between academic research, policymaking, and grassroots experiences through better data collection and youth-driven advocacy.
From the financial sector, Molla Karimul Islam of City Bank highlighted the importance of dedicated financing instruments and the need for banks to carefully evaluate cash flows and repayment capacity in water-related projects. Climate and youth organizations called for meaningful participation of young people in international climate discussions to ensure that community priorities are reflected in funding proposals submitted before COP31.
The roundtable concluded that Bangladesh’s multifaceted water challenges—encompassing groundwater depletion, salinity intrusion, and climate-related coastal vulnerabilities—cannot be resolved through a single strategy or funding model. Instead, solutions must be context-specific, backed by flexible financing, supported by cross-sector collaboration, and driven by strong youth engagement to build a resilient water future in the face of climate change.