World water day 2026: Water, Energy and the politics of access

Water is not neutral. It shapes power, prosperity and peace – and in its absence, it exposes the sharpest edges of inequality.

On World Water Day 2026, under the theme "Water and Gender", the world must confront a hard truth: the water crisis is no longer only about scarcity. It is about control, energy and justice.

More than 2.2 billion people still lack safely managed drinking water. At least 115 million rely on contaminated surface sources. Across the global south, women and girls spend an estimated 200 million hours every day collecting water – time lost to education, livelihoods and opportunity. In Bangladesh, nearly 40 per cent of the population still lacks reliable access to safe water. These are not just development gaps; they are structural inequalities.

A new layer of crisis is now intensifying this reality. Conflicts and instability in West Asia have disrupted global energy markets, driving up fuel costs and straining supply chains. For countries such as Bangladesh, where water systems – from irrigation to groundwater pumping – depend heavily on energy, this is a direct threat. When energy prices rise, water becomes more expensive, less accessible and more unequal.

This convergence of water and energy insecurity demands urgency – but also imagination.

Bangladesh has already taken an important step through its canal re-excavation drive, restoring rivers and waterways across the country. The effort is often framed in terms of flood control and irrigation, but its potential is far greater. Revived canals can recharge groundwater, reduce urban flooding and strengthen climate resilience. More importantly, they can become the foundation of a decentralised model of water governance.

That transformation will only succeed if it centres women.

Women are already the primary managers of water at the household level. They understand scarcity, quality and access better than most policymakers ever will. Yet they remain largely excluded from formal decision-making. Embedding women's leadership in canal management committees, water user groups and local governance structures would not only improve outcomes but also advance fairness. It would shift water from being a burden carried by women to a resource governed with them.

Bangladesh must also confront its dependence on fossil-fuel-powered water systems. Diesel-driven irrigation and pumping are increasingly unsustainable in a volatile global energy market. Transitioning to solar-powered irrigation, micro-hydropower and other decentralised renewables is no longer optional – it is essential. Evidence from across South Asia shows that women-led renewable energy initiatives can reduce costs, cut emissions and strengthen community resilience at the same time.

The timing for action could not be more critical. In the coming months, seasonal northwesterly storms – often accompanied by intense bursts of rainfall – will again trigger flooding and waterlogging, while much of that water is lost as runoff. With the right systems in place, rainfall could become a usable resource.

Rainwater harvesting is not a marginal solution; it is an immediate necessity.

In the short term, the government should launch a nationwide rainwater harvesting campaign targeting households, schools and urban buildings. Rooftop collection systems, community storage tanks and small-scale reservoirs can be deployed quickly and at relatively low cost. Integrating these systems with canal restoration would create a network capable of capturing and redistributing water more effectively.

Urban planning regulations should make rainwater harvesting mandatory in new developments, while incentives can support retrofitting in existing structures. Local governments must be equipped with funding and technical support to deliver these measures – with women playing a central role in design and management.

Immediate preparedness for seasonal storms is equally essential. Clearing drainage systems, strengthening early warning mechanisms and supporting community-based response strategies can reduce the human and economic toll of extreme weather.

The long-term agenda must go further. Bangladesh needs an integrated water–energy strategy that aligns climate adaptation with sustainable development. This includes scaling up renewables for water systems, reducing reliance on imported fuels and insulating the country from global price shocks. It also requires stronger cooperation over shared river basins to ensure equitable and sustainable management of transboundary waters.

Financing matters, too. Too much climate funding still flows into large-scale infrastructure while bypassing local communities. Direct investment in women-led water and renewable energy initiatives can unlock practical, scalable solutions where they are most needed.

This is not only about infrastructure; it is about governance. Women must have real decision-making power, supported by access to finance, land rights and technical training. Without this, commitments to gender equality will remain rhetorical.

The stakes are high. Water insecurity, left unchecked, will deepen poverty, drive displacement and increase the risk of conflict. Managed equitably, water can instead become a foundation for stability and cooperation.

Bangladesh stands at a moment of convergence: canal restoration, seasonal rains and global energy volatility together create an opportunity to rethink how water is governed, shared and sustained. The question is not whether the country can afford to act. It is whether it can afford not to.

On this World Water Day, the message is clear: water must be governed not just as a resource, but as a right. And those who have carried its weight for long must now help shape its future – because resilience does not flow from infrastructure alone, but from power shared, leadership redefined and systems rebuilt with justice at their core.