Water regulation vital for economic development in Bangladesh
Today two reports are previewed by WWF and H&M at an event held in Dhaka, Bangladesh, supported by the 2030 Water Resources Group. The reports find that the gap between water policy and implementation in Bangladesh is likely to affect the country’s economic growth. Through their collaborative partnership, WWF and H&M both recognize the importance of supporting strong action on water and good water governance in Bangladesh.
As part of their strategic partnership on water WWF and H&M have collaborated on two investigative reports. One is launched today, Jan 30th, and is titled Water Governance in Bangladesh, Challenges and opportunities around policy, institutional function and implementation for a sustainable water future. The other report focuses on economic outcomes from water scenarios, planned for publication in April 2016.
“The government of Bangladesh has introduced ambitious water regulations, but still lacks the institutional alignment to fully implement policies and the resources to monitor and prosecute violations” says Laila Petrie of WWF International, co-author of the reports. ”Bangladesh has made impressive progress in growing enough food for its people, but food security is now under threat from water issues. Additionally, water and sanitation goals still require focus – sources suggest that more than 25 million people lack access to clean drinking water and 66 million do not have hygienic toilet facilities.”
“H&M has a strong link with the Bangladeshi apparel sector, and has invested in the long-term future of Bangladesh,” says Shariful Hoque, Environmental Manager for H&M Bangladesh. “We see that at site, industry and national level, water issues need to be taken seriously in order to support the growth of the apparel industry in Bangladesh. We support the work that WWF and other organizations do to address these water issues.”
Initial economic findings in the two reports predict that growth in industry and stable food production are highly compatible with sustainable water use if smart policy interventions by the Bangladeshi government are combined with positive action from international textile buyers and development agencies.
Bangladesh is an important producer of clothing for many fashion brands, H&M being one of them, and the apparel sector is vital for the Bangladesh economy. Currently, textile and leather processing is having significant impacts on water resources, sometimes leading to environmental degradation and potential health problems for people. As part of their partnership on water, WWF and H&M are working together to address water issues in China and Bangladesh, as well as tackling H&M’s water use and the impacts it has.
Read more about H&Ms work on water at hm.com/water
Please find the report on water governance and full details on WWF’s work in Bangladesh at panda.org/Bangladesh