Bangladesh has called for equitable and cooperative management of transboundary water resources at the first Session of the 6th Joint Meeting of the Working Groups on Integrated Water Resources Management, Monitoring & Assessment under the UN Water Convention, held on Monday in Switzerland’s Geneva.

Addressing the session, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Water Resources, emphasised that for Bangladesh, “rivers are not just rivers — they are our lifeblood.”

Representing Bangladesh as the newest member of the UN Water Convention, she highlighted the country’s reliance on rivers that originate beyond its borders and reiterated Bangladesh’s commitment to the principles of equitable and reasonable utilisation, participation, and no harm in transboundary water management.

Rizwana noted Bangladesh’s progress through bilateral treaties and the Joint Rivers Commission, while stressing the need for basinwide regional cooperation.

She also referred to the Bangladesh Supreme Court’s landmark ruling declaring all rivers as “living entities,” calling it a model for environmental jurisprudence.

She outlined Bangladesh’s ongoing efforts to strengthen institutional capacity, enhance monitoring systems, and address challenges such as river pollution, salinity intrusion, and declining water flow.

Also present at the event was Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, adviser to the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, Ministry of Railways, and Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.

Bangladesh’s accession to the UN Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes—as the first South Asian country to do so—is being celebrated in Geneva at the 20th Meeting of the Parties, where it hopes its membership will promote water security and foster stronger regional cooperation for a sustainable water future.