Khulna Hosts Three-Day Coastal Water Convention to Address Growing Water Crisis
Khulna, Jan 25, 2026: The third Coastal Water Convention–2026 commenced in Khulna on Sunday with a focus on finding practical and sustainable responses to the worsening water crisis in Bangladesh’s south-western coastal districts.
The event is being organised by AOSED, a Khulna-based non-government organisation, in partnership with around 60 institutions and organisations, including public universities, development professionals, socio-economic groups, journalists, and non-government organisations.
The convention was formally inaugurated at around 12:30 pm at the CSS Ava Centre in Khulna city by renowned water expert Prof Dr Ainun Nishat, adviser to the Centre for Climate Change and Environment Research, who attended the opening session as chief guest.
The inaugural programme was chaired by Dr Md Khairul Islam, Regional Director of WaterAid for South Asia, while Md Shamim Arefeen, executive director of AOSED and member secretary of the convention’s organising committee, moderated the session.
Several experts and civil society representatives addressed the opening ceremony, including Prof Dr Kazi Maruful Islam of Dhaka University, Prof Anwarul Quadir of the Sundarban Academy, Abul Kalam Azad of ActionAid, ATM Zakir Hossain of Jagrata Juba Sangho (JJS), Soma Dutta from Manusher Janno Foundation, and Deb Prosad Sarker, executive director of LoCOS.
The three-day programme includes workshops, seminars, thematic discussions, documentary film screenings, cultural events, and a closing session.
Participants identified multiple factors contributing to the coastal water crisis, such as disruption of natural tidal flows, river erosion, silt accumulation, rising salinity, pollution, poor resource management, climate change impacts, erosion of community water rights, and the gradual disappearance of traditional water management systems.
Speakers observed that unplanned human interventions, often carried out without adequate ecological assessment, have significantly altered natural water regimes, resulting in reduced freshwater inflow from upstream sources. They warned that the shortage of safe drinking water has reached an alarming level in many coastal communities.
The convention aims to encourage informed dialogue and science-based policymaking. Organisers expressed hope that collaborative participation would lead to a Khulna Declaration, offering strategic direction for addressing water insecurity and climate-related challenges in the coastal region.
