Swisscontact hosts knowledge-sharing event to accelerate safe drinking water access in country

NN News Desk: Swisscontact Bangladesh organised a high-impact knowledge-sharing event titled “Accelerating Access to Safe Drinking Water through Supporting Local Entrepreneurship” under its flagship initiative, H2O: A Systemic Water Project in Bangladesh.
The event was held at a hotel in Gulshan of Dhaka bringing together policymakers, donors, water entrepreneurs, and private sector representatives to discuss 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 TK0.40 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.
Mujibul Hasan Cezanne, country director, Swisscontact Bangladesh; S M Shafiul Alam, assistant director, AQAU, Planning and Development Wing, Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Government of Bangladesh; Mohon Kumar Mondol, executive director, LEDARS; and Rohan Kamal, co-founder and COO, EasySense addressed the event.