Which country became the first in South Asia to accede to the UN Water Convention in 2025, a legally binding framework adopted in Helsinki in 1992 to promote equitable and sustainable management of shared water resources?

Solution

• Bangladesh became the first South Asian nation to formally join the UN Water Convention in 2025, seeking stronger cooperation on transboundary rivers. • The Convention was adopted in Helsinki in 1992, entered into force in 1996, and became a global UN framework in 2016. • It emphasizes equitable water sharing, conflict prevention, joint management, and peaceful dispute resolutionfor internationally shared water bodies. • Bangladesh’s accession gives it a legal multilateral platform to negotiate fair water-sharing arrangements, particularly with India over rivers such as the Teesta and Ganga. • India is not a signatory, preferring bilateral treaties like the Indus Waters Treaty (1960) and Ganga Water Treaty (1996).