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The event united policymakers, donors, water entrepreneurs, and private sector leaders to explore sustainable, community-driven solutions for providing safe drinking water to climate-vulnerable and underserved communities in Bangladesh.
The program commenced with an engaging welcome address by Mujibul (Cezanne) Hasan, Country Director, Swisscontact Bangladesh, emphasizing the transformative potential of innovative public-private partnerships and market system approaches in overcoming Bangladesh’s water challenges.
Fazle Razik, Head of Programme and Team Leader, H2O, delivered the keynote speech, sharing insights into the project's innovative community and school-based social water business models, its achievements, and its vision for scaling these models across Bangladesh.
An interactive live interview session titled "Voices from the Field: Scaling Water Enterprises for Vulnerable Communities" explored the experiences of water entrepreneurs.
Both entrepreneurs highlighted the need for tailored financial tools, such as loans and insurance, specifically designed for water entrepreneurs. Following that, representatives from banks showed interest in collaborating with development actors to design tailored financial tools, such as loans and insurance, specifically for water entrepreneurs.
Additionally, Igne Klassen, First Secretary of Water and Climate, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, queried the entrepreneurs about their journeys and reflected on the project's social inclusion focus, expressing keen interest in the implemented models.
Ikramul H Sohel, Senior Programme Officer, Market Development, Embassy of Sweden, complimented the query with the importance of maintaining water quality and consistent enterprise maintenance.
A panel discussion titled "Breaking Systemic Barriers: Scaling Innovations for Safe Drinking Water Access in Bangladesh" followed, featuring insights from distinguished speakers:
Nazia Haider, Programme Manager, Embassy of Switzerland, asked about engagement with local government, suggesting the integration of policy advocacy workshops to enhance collaboration with municipalities.
Moderated by Sakib Khaled, Sr. Manager - Portfolio Development, both the session addressed operational and managerial challenges, explored scaling opportunities for water enterprises, and discussed strategies to strengthen Bangladesh’s water market system.
Salma Ahmed, Project Manager, Sajida Foundation, emphasized the importance of empowering women entrepreneurs through initiatives like H2O. In response, the project personnel made clarifications on the current priority of strengthening the market systems, while the project remains committed to promoting women's entrepreneurship in the coming days.
In his closing remarks, Fazle Razik called for ongoing partnerships between government, private, and development sectors.
The H2O: A Systemic Water Entrepreneurship Project in Bangladesh (February 2022–December 2024) operates in Shyamnagar and Satkhira Sadar upazilas of Satkhira district. Funded by Lokales Wasser 37 and co-financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the project establishes scalable, community-driven water enterprises, introduces mobile water dispensing units, and implements school-based welfare models to ensure access to safe water for low-income, climate-vulnerable communities.
Through its innovative models, the project demonstrates the potential for replicable solutions that build resilience and ensure sustainable access to safe drinking water across Bangladesh.
