Stakeholders at a national conclave in Dhaka on Sunday called for scaling up community-led, climate-resilient water systems in Bangladesh’s coastal areas, particularly in regions affected by salinity intrusion, waterlogging and increasingly erratic weather.
The call came at the National Conclave on Climate-Resilient Water Security for Coastal Bangladesh, organized by Save the Children in Bangladesh to share experiences from climate-vulnerable communities and explore ways to integrate successful models into national policy, planning and investment.
Bangladesh’s southwest coastal region, particularly Satkhira, faces recurring cyclones, salinity intrusion, waterlogging, erratic rainfall and prolonged droughts, affecting access to safe water, livelihoods, food security and public health.
Since August 2023, the Satkhira Resilient Water Systems Pilot Project, funded by Save the Children Korea, technically supported by Save the Children in Bangladesh and implemented by Uttaran, has been testing a community-based water resilience model in Satkhira Sadar and Assasuni upazilas.
Under the project, five solar-powered reverse osmosis (RO) plants have been established, along with the restoration of five pond sand filters, installation of 10 deep tubewells and support for rainwater harvesting systems.
The interventions now serve more than 41,000 people, including over 16,000 children, while promoting community ownership, women’s leadership and youth-led water solutions.
During Cyclone Remal in May 2024, all 5 RO plants remained operational with generator support and supplied safe drinking water to around 30,000 people in the immediate aftermath of the cyclone.
The project has also demonstrated the potential of a community-led revenue model to support sustainable access to safe drinking water in coastal communities.
According to the project, the revenue model generated Tk14,59,240 from 5 RO facilities between August 2023 and December 2026. The use of solar panels has also reduced electricity costs by 90%, lowering dependence on the national power grid.
Speaking at the event, Mohammad Navid Safiullah, additional secretary at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said Bangladesh ranks 13th globally in the Long-Term Climate Risk Index and is increasingly experiencing extreme rainfall, floods, salinity intrusion, heatwaves and cold waves.
“In coastal areas, the lack of safe drinking water is also affecting women’s reproductive health and weakening community health and resilience,” he said.
Safiullah said the RO model demonstrated the value of locally led adaptation, as communities best understand their own challenges and potential solutions.
“This approach aligns with the government’s Locally Led Adaptation Framework and its emphasis on bottom-up solutions. Expanding and replicating such models could significantly improve the lives of people in coastal communities,” he said.
He stressed that proper planning, implementation and monitoring, along with stronger collaboration, would be necessary to expand such initiatives.
“Government cannot address these challenges alone; the greatest impact comes when communities are at the center of the solutions,” he said.
Suman Sengupta, country director of Save the Children in Bangladesh, said access to safe water remained a basic and critical need for people in Satkhira.
“The Satkhira Resilient Water Systems Pilot Project demonstrates how local government, communities and development partners can work together to address this challenge,” he said.
He added that the project also contributes to the government’s Five-Year Strategic Framework and its commitment to expand solar-powered RO systems in coastal areas.
“This conclave provides an important bridge between national aspirations and locally led solutions, helping translate policy commitments into services that respond to the realities of coastal communities,” Sengupta said.
The conclave also focused on strengthening government partnerships, technical collaboration and investment to scale up climate-resilient water systems.
Participants discussed how evidence and experience from the Satkhira model could be linked with government strategic frameworks, national targets and the country’s broader climate policy architecture.
The discussions highlighted community-led revenue mechanisms, women’s leadership and youth engagement as important components of a broader approach to water security, climate adaptation and disaster management.
