BKMEA Partners With WaterAid Bangladesh on Sustainable Water ManagementIn 2022, Bangladesh ranked sixth in the world for estimated groundwater e...

BKMEA Partners With WaterAid Bangladesh on Sustainable Water Management
In 2022, Bangladesh ranked sixth in the world for estimated groundwater extraction—the garment industry was one of the top contributors to the falling levels. In the country, around 2.1 million people still lack clean water close to home.

On Monday, WaterAid Bangladesh, an international NGO based in the U.K., and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The purpose of this agreement is to promote efficient and sustainable water use in Bangladesh’s knitwear sector and improve access to safe water, improved sanitation, and hygiene education.

The MoU was signed by county director of WaterAid Bangladesh Azman Ahmed Chowdhury and vice president of BKMEA Mohammad Rashed at the BKMEA office in Dhaka. Under this agreement, the two organizations will work on developing a sustainable water management plan for the country’s knitwear sector.

They will focus on reducing unnecessary water consumption, finding alternative sources to groundwater, implementing water-efficient technologies, recycling and reusing wastewater, harvesting rainwater, and identifying financing opportunities for sustainable water solutions.

The collaboration will also look at ways to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services for workers and the surrounding communities. This is part of WaterAid’s core approach that aims to change lives with clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. The two organizations will also try to strengthen the use of water-related data in BKMEA’s environmental, social and governance systems.

BKMEA VP Rashed said that the responsible management of water should be incorporated into decisions at ownership and senior-management levels in the garment industry. He added that there should be financing to ensure that small and medium-sized factories are also able to adopt water-efficient technologies. Rashed proposed establishing a dedicated water unit with a focal person and a dedicated team at BKMEA to monitor progress.

WaterAid Bangladesh’s Chowdhury identified the need to explore how factories could access the Bangladesh Bank’s green financing facilities for investments in water-efficient technologies and sustainable production. The central bank offers many incentives for green products, such as a 5 percent refinancing rate and access to a low-cost Green Transformation Fund.

The senior program officer at the Embassy of Sweden in Bangladesh Mostafizur Rahman, also in attendance, noted that international buyers are placing increasing importance on the mode of manufacturing, the use of natural resources, and environmental impact. He also emphasized the need for water-management solutions that would protect the environment without undermining the competitiveness of the industry.

The signing of this MoU marks the initial phase of this collaboration, which will continue until December 15, 2026. This phase will also include technical training, practical seminars for factory owners and senior officials, and preliminary assessments at selected factories. The collaborators will also engage with government agencies, international buyers, brands, and financial institutions.

The partnership has the combined goals of more sustainable water management, improving the quality of life of the workers and community, and strengthening Bangladesh’s knitwear sector as the global market becomes increasingly conscious of sustainability.