The Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) convened over 60 key stakeholders in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 29 October for the workshop to mark the completion of the first AWS Accelerator programme.
Supported by AWS Funding Member Primark, the AWS Accelerator brought together 16 textile suppliers to advance water stewardship practices in Dhaka’s industrial catchments. Throughout the programme, sites have helped gather information on their catchment, completed AWS Standard System Training, participated in a series of knowledge-sharing workshops, and developed water stewardship strategies and plans. The sites also made a public commitment to water stewardship earlier this year.
This final workshop celebrated the completion of site evaluations, marking a major milestone in benchmarking site-level progress against the AWS Standard. The event brought together representatives from global brands, government agencies, development partners, NGOs and industry leaders. Participants included:
- Global brands: Primark, H&M, Marks & Spencer, Celio, Elevate Textiles, Tally Weijl and Bestseller
- Government agencies: Water Resources Planning Organization (WARPO), Local Goverment Division
- Development partners: GIZ, Netherlands Embassy
- NGOs and industry leaders: 2030 Water Resources Group (2030 WRG), the Resilient Water Accelerator (RWA) and the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA)
A high-level panel discussion on ‘Building Water Resilience’ explored how corporate leadership, science and policy can come together to strengthen the Dhaka catchment’s resilience to shared water challenges. Speakers from WARPO, Dhaka University, the Netherlands Embassy, 2030 WRG and the private sector emphasised collective action and financing as the keys to sustainable water management.
As AWS prepares to launch the next Accelerator cohort in Greater Dhaka in 2026, we are exploring wider collaborations with partners to unlock finance for producers and industrial parks to access water technologies and build collective action pathways. It is increasingly clear that scaling water stewardship across the country’s primary business sector will be key to enhancing the country’s resilience and competitiveness.
“We’re incredibly proud of the participating sites for completing the first AWS Accelerator, and appreciative of Primark’s continued support. Collaborating with textile suppliers to advance water stewardship in Dhaka, Bangladesh, has been a truly rewarding experience. We hope this initiative has created a ripple effect – one that inspires more companies to join and helps build a thriving community of water stewards in Dhaka.”
If you are interested in joining the upcoming Accelerator programme in Dhaka, please contact us for more information.
