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Speakers at a seminar on Wednesday stressed the need for responsible water use and shared responsibility of stakeholders, including government, industry, and development partners to integrate water stewardship into Bangladesh’s sustainable industrial development strategy.
They also called for investments in water efficiency, recycling, and rainwater harvesting, reducing freshwater extraction.
The remarks were made at a national workshop titled “Building Water Resilience: Insights from the AWS Collective Action Accelerator” held at the Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel in the city.
The event organised by Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) brought participants representing government agencies, global brands, textile suppliers, NGOs, and development partners to discuss the future of corporate water stewardship in Bangladesh’s textile industry.
Supported by Primark, the AWS Collective Action Accelerator (CAA) marked a groundbreaking two-year initiative engaging 16 textile manufacturing sites in Dhaka to implement and advance the internationally recognized AWS Standard.
The program has helped sites strengthen water governance, efficiency, and quality management while fostering collaboration within the catchment to build shared water resilience.
Speaking at the opening session, Shahid Kamal, Country Coordinator of AWS Bangladesh, highlighted that “the participating sites have demonstrated how industrial growth and responsible water use can go hand in hand. Their progress proves that collective action is not just an ideal it’s a practical path to securing water for business, people, and nature.”
The workshop featured virtual remarks from Mr. Ashish, AWS Global Team, who linked Bangladesh’s progress with AWS’s global mission spanning more than 100 priority basins.
He also announced the launch of a second Bangladesh Accelerator batch in 2026, along with plans for a National Water Stewardship Forum to sustain multi-stakeholder collaboration.
A high-level panel discussion brought together representatives from WARPO, Dhaka University, the Netherlands Embassy, representative from textile factory, the World Bank’s 2030 Water Resources Group, and participating factories.
munni_fe@yahoo.com