Bangladesh officially acceded to the UN Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (UN Water Convention) on June 20, becoming the first country in South Asia and the 56th globally to join the treaty.

As a deltaic nation with 57 transboundary rivers, including the crucial Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) system, Bangladesh’s water security, environmental sustainability and regional stability depend heavily on effective cross-border water cooperation. Rising sea levels, increasing salinity intrusion and the fact that 65 million people still lack access to safely managed sanitation underscore the urgent need for sustainable water governance.

The UN Water Convention provides a comprehensive legal and institutional framework to promote cooperation over shared surface and groundwater resources. Bangladesh has been actively engaged with the Convention since 2012 and participated in its 10th Meeting of the Parties in Slovenia in 2024.

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Government of Bangladesh on Water Resources, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, called accession a “landmark step” for the country. She added, “Climate change, growing populations and rising water demand require enhanced transboundary cooperation. The Convention will help us develop more effective and inclusive water policies to ensure long-term water security.”

Bangladesh already maintains longstanding bilateral water agreements and institutions, including the Joint Rivers Commission and the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty with India, and continues cooperation with Nepal, China and Bhutan.

Tatiana Molcean, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), welcomed Bangladesh’s accession as a “significant move for South Asia” amid growing climate pressures. Sonja Koeppel, Secretary to the UN Water Convention, congratulated Bangladesh and encouraged other South Asian nations and UN members to join, reaffirming UN support ahead of the next UN Water Conference in the UAE, December 2–4, 2026.