Bangladesh is first South Asian country to join UN Water Convention, aiming to improve cross-border cooperation

For Bangladesh, a country defined by its rivers and situated in a complex geopolitical region on the frontlines of global climate change, transboundary water management is a lifeline to peace and prosperity. 57 transboundary rivers flow through the country, including the vast Ganges (Padma)-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) river system spanning China, Nepal, Bhutan, India and emptying into the Bay of Bengal in Bangladesh, where it forms one of the largest and most intricate deltas in the world.

Hence why Bangladesh understands the critical need for effective cooperation and dialogue with neighbouring countries to ensure sustainable and equitable water management at national and transboundary scales. This imperative is heightened by severe climate change impacts exacerbating droughts in summer and flooding during monsoon season, and increasingly unpredictable water flows. Sea-level rise and salt-water intrusion in the Delta further compound impacts on lives and livelihoods.