Swisscontact Bangladesh organised a knowledge-sharing event titled "Accelerating Access to Safe Drinking Water through Supporting Local Entrepreneurship" at a hotel in Dhaka's Gulshan area under its flagship initiative - H2O: A Systemic Water Project in Bangladesh. 

Policymakers, donors, water entrepreneurs, and private sector representatives attended the event and discussed collaborative solutions for sustainable water access in the country.

The H2O project has pioneered innovative approaches to tackle Bangladesh's water crisis, particularly in climate-vulnerable and underserved communities. Leveraging local entrepreneurship and public-private partnerships, the project has implemented community-owned water enterprises, school-based social welfare models, and mobile water solutions. These initiatives aim to ensure safe and affordable drinking water for all.

The event featured discussions on the project's achievements, including enabling 426 households to access 402,915 litres of safe drinking water at an affordable rate of TK 0.40 per litre. Through the integration of renewable energy, it has generated 6.47 MWh of solar power to ensure eco-friendly operations and has reduced waterborne illnesses by 37% in target areas.

Participants shared insights on scaling water entrepreneurship, identifying policy and financial gaps, and exploring innovative solutions to strengthen Bangladesh's water market system.

"The H2O project exemplifies how community-driven and entrepreneurial approaches can address critical water challenges sustainably," said Mujibul Hasan Cezanne, Country Director, Swisscontact Bangladesh.

"A consortium should be established to facilitate and streamline impactful initiatives like the H2O project, ensuring their long-term success and scalability," added S M Shafiul Alam, Assistant Director, AQAU, Planning and Development Wing, Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Government of Bangladesh. 

"As we face the pressing challenges of climate change, initiatives like the H2O project are essential to ensure access to safe and hygienic water, especially for the coastal communities most affected by this crisis," added Mohon Kumar Mondol, Executive Director, LEDARS.

"To address the water crisis in coastal regions, there is an urgent need for concrete policymaking, supported by collaboration among government bodies and all relevant stakeholders," said Rohan Kamal, Co-founder and COO of EasySense.

The discussions emphasised actionable strategies for creating a resilient water market system and highlighted the need for stronger stakeholder collaboration to expand the reach and impact of such initiatives.