The workshop was jointly organised by WaterAid Bangladesh–Swisscontact Bangladesh consortium along with the DASCOH Foundation, with the objective of reviewing and validating the draft IWRM training manual developed to strengthen the capacity of Local Government Institutions (LGIs) and Deconcentrated Line Agencies (DLAs) officials at union, upazila and municipality level to adopt climate-resilient, integrated approaches to water resources management.
Khondoker Azim Ahmed, ndc, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, Government of Bangladesh, attended as the Chief Guest. In his remarks, he noted that the strength of IWRM lies in its balanced consideration of social, economic and environmental dimensions of water, which enables structured, participatory and locally responsive water governance. The session was chaired by Mohammad Lutfur Rahman, Director General (Additional Charge), Water Resources Planning Organization (WARPO), who emphasised that an enabling environment, strong institutional capacity, and active participation of LGIs and communities are essential prerequisites for effective IWRM implementation.
Azman Ahmed Chowdhury, Director, Business Development and Quality Assurance, WaterAid Bangladesh, attended as the Special Guest and highlighted that sensitising LGIs on IWRM is critical to ensuring optimum water use in water-scarce areas and embedding IWRM principles within basic public service delivery. The technical presentation on the draft manual was delivered by Prof. Dr. Chowdhury Sarwar Jahan, Department of Geology and Mining and former Pro-Vice Chancellor, University of Rajshahi, who underscored how the manual links IWRM with climate change adaptation, enabling LGIs to design water-related development initiatives with climate resilience at the core.
The workshop brought together representatives from key government line agencies, research organisations, academia and civil society, including WARPO, DAE, BWDB, BADC, NILG, BMDA, CEGIS, IWM, IWMI, BRAC, PKSF and ITN-BUET. Participants provided technical and policy feedback to ensure the manual is nationally aligned, context-specific and user-friendly. In his concluding remarks, Nur Alam, Director (Planning), WARPO, welcomed the initiative, noting the importance of linking IWRM to grassroots contexts where climate impacts are most acute, and appreciated the role of the Swiss-supported GO4IMPact programme in advancing this agenda.
As a next step and building on the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding between WaterAid Bangladesh and the National Institute of Local Government (NILG), the finalised IWRM manual will be integrated into NILG’s training curriculum for LGIs and DLAs. This will enable nationwide institutionalisation of climate-resilient, integrated water management practices at the local level and contribute to the Swiss Cooperation Strategy for Bangladesh by strengthening locally led climate action, resilient water systems and effective local governance.