COP31: B'desh calls for equitable water rights, river protection

A Bangladesh-led policy platform has called for cross-border cooperation, community participation and equitable climate financing to protect shared rivers and ensure water security, highlighting the need for natural rights-based water governance.

The call was made at a high-level dialogue titled “Living Waters, Shared Rights: Climate Resilience through Natural Rights-Led Governance” at the Bangladesh Pavilion on the opening day of COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, on Monday (November 9). The event, hosted by Change Initiative, also marked the global launch of the Nature and Governance Policy Platform (NGPP).

Speaking at the event, M Zakir Hossain Khan, Co-Founder and Chief Executive of Change Initiative, said river systems must be governed through natural laws and scientific evidence rather than political boundaries. He highlighted the challenges facing Bangladesh, which shares 54 rivers with India, and noted that the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty expires on December 12, 2026.

Khan also highlighted inequalities in climate financing, saying Bangladesh received US$7.78 in loans for every US$1 in grants for water supply-related climate finance between 2002 and 2023. He called for greater grant-based financing and community-led river stewardship to protect shared water resources.

State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Dr Shaikh Faridul Islam, MP, urged vulnerable countries to strengthen collective efforts to secure drinking water and food security amid rising sea levels and climate threats.

Other participants, including representatives of Türkiye's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Climate Investment Funds, the International Water Management Institute, the International Institute for Environment and Development and the Embassy of Switzerland, stressed the importance of locally led adaptation, sustainable investment and regional cooperation.

Indigenous representatives from Bangladesh and Chile also called for greater community participation in water governance and recognition of Indigenous peoples' rights, including free, prior and informed consent.

Launched in Dhaka in October 2026, the NGPP is an advisory policy platform that brings together policymakers, researchers, experts and communities to develop evidence-based policies on climate, water and nature. Change Initiative serves as its global technical secretariat.

The dialogue was organised with support from the Embassy of Switzerland and in collaboration with WaterAid Bangladesh.

- MaT