MKF II opens in Bangkok, focuses on cross-border climate resilience in Meghna Basin

The second edition of the Meghna Knowledge Forum (MKF II) commenced today (23 July) at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Bangkok, with wide-ranging participation from government officials, academics, youth leaders, civil society organisations, Indigenous representatives, and development partners from Bangladesh, India, and other regional stakeholders.

Organised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) under the BRIDGE programme (Building River Dialogue and Governance), the three-day forum between 23 and 25 focuses on strengthening ecosystem and community resilience to climate change in the Meghna River Basin, which spans Bangladesh and India and supports over 50 million people.

The Business Standard is the media partner of the event.

Joining via live video message, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Advisor to Bangladesh's Ministry of Water Resources, addressed the forum and stressed the urgency of collaborative transboundary governance to protect the Meghna Basin's ecological and social systems from escalating climate risks.

She also highlighted Bangladesh's milestone as the first South Asian nation to formally accede to the UN Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes. Additionally, she noted that the government is working on formulating a comprehensive Haor Masterplan to safeguard the country's haor wetlands.

Held under the theme "Building Community and Ecosystem Resilience to Climate Change", MKF II aims to foster learning and collaboration across sectors. 

The agenda includes high-level thematic plenaries on livelihood resilience, biodiversity and Nature-based Solutions, and youth and gender inclusion. A dynamic exhibition featuring photo stories, knowledge booths, and posters was also launched to run throughout the event.

Youth participation is a highlight of MKF II, with the "Youth for Meghna" (Y4M) network taking centre stage in two back-to-back sessions on Day 1. These forums explored youth-led freshwater biodiversity efforts, climate resilience initiatives, and intergenerational dialogue with practitioners and experts from across the basin.

The Meghna River Basin — considered a "biogeographical gateway" — spans 82,000 square kilometres and includes territories in Bangladesh, India, and a small portion in Myanmar. It is home to Indigenous communities such as the Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia. With extreme rainfall zones like Mawsynram and mounting threats from environmental degradation, cross-border cooperation has become critical.

MKF II builds on the foundation laid by the first Meghna Knowledge Forum held in 2021. Since 2018, IUCN has worked closely with local partners such as BUET, North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Assam University, Center for Natural Resource Studies (CNRS), and North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS) to implement Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), climate research, and stakeholder dialogues under the BRIDGE initiative.

The current phase (2023–2026) is jointly supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

Over the next two days, MKF II will host sessions on data and governance tools, ecosystem restoration, the role of trade and private sector engagement in resilience, and future research partnerships in the Barak-Meghna Basin. The forum will conclude with a synthesis of key messages and a valedictory session featuring policymakers and development leaders.