Bangladesh has officially acceded to the UN Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (UN Water Convention), becoming the first country in South Asia to do so.
The country joined the treaty on June 20, becoming the 56th country worldwide to accede, according to a statement from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on Tuesday.
As a deltaic nation with 57 transboundary rivers -- notably the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna river system -- Bangladesh's water security, environmental sustainability, and regional stability rely heavily on effective cross-border water cooperation.
The country faces pressing challenges including rising sea levels, increasing salinity intrusion, and the fact that around 65 million people still lack access to safely managed sanitation services, underscoring the urgent need for equitable and sustainable water governance.
The UN Water Convention provides a comprehensive legal and institutional framework to promote cooperation over shared surface and groundwater resources.
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