About the Convention
Why CWC 2025 matters and what to expect.
3rd Coastal Water Convention 2025
Khulna Bangladesh
Water, Climate Justice, and Coastal Futures
Countdown to CWC 2025 – Khulna, Bangladesh
16
Days
13
Hours
43
Minutes
3
Seconds
20–21 December 2025
Where
Khulna, Coastal Bangladesh
When
20–21 December 2025
Focus
Water, Climate Change, Ecosystems, and Just Transitions
Jointly Organized by
Coastal Water Convention Secretariat with Partner Organizations
Explore CWC 2025
Jump straight to key sections of the convention website.
Thematic Areas
Explore the four key themes of the programme.
Call for Abstracts
Share your work, stories, and research.
Exhibition & Side Events
Showcase innovations, booths, and partner events.
Registration & Fees
Join the convention and learn about fee options.
Partners & Supporters
Meet the networks behind CWC 2025.
About CWC 2025
About the 3rd Coastal Water Convention
The Coastal Water Convention (CWC) is a people-centred, evidence-based platform dedicated to the water and climate realities of coastal regions. Following two successful conventions in 2011 and 2019, CWC 2025 returns to Khulna, at a time when coastal communities in Bangladesh and beyond are facing unprecedented challenges: salinity intrusion, cyclones and storm surges, riverbank erosion, waterlogging, pollution, and climate-induced displacement.
The 3rd Convention will showcase community-led innovations and advocacy from coastal Bangladesh while connecting with global debates on climate justice, loss and damage, water governance, and sustainable development. It will bring together:
- Frontline communities and people’s movements
- Local and national civil society organizations
- Researchers, academics, and technical experts
- Government representatives and policy actors
- Media, youth groups, and development partners
Why This Convention Matters
In coastal Bangladesh, water is at the heart of every struggle and every solution. From safe drinking water and agriculture to fisheries, health, migration, and human rights, water connects climate risks with everyday life. CWC 2025 creates a shared space where lived experiences, scientific knowledge, and policy processes can meet—helping to shape fair and actionable pathways for adaptation, resilience, and climate justice.
Objectives of CWC 2025
- Document and amplify the lived realities of coastal communities affected by climate change, water insecurity, and displacement.
- Promote dialogue and joint learning among communities, practitioners, researchers, and policymakers on water-related risks and solutions.
- Highlight community-led innovations in water management, adaptation, and resilient livelihoods.
- Influence policies and investments towards equitable, locally led, and gender-responsive water and climate governance.
- Build long-term alliances between grassroots organizations, networks, and international partners working on water, climate, migration, and justice.
Messages from Leadership
Voices Guiding the Convention
Words that frame the vision, purpose, and resolve behind CWC 2025.
Programme Pillars
Thematic Areas of CWC 2025
Water & Climate Change
How cyclones, salinity, tidal flooding, and river erosion are transforming coastal water systems and livelihoods.
Water Governance
Exploring rights, power, accountability, and decision-making in coastal land and water management.
Water Ecosystems & SDGs
Connecting rivers, wetlands, mangroves, and estuaries with SDG goals on water, climate, and biodiversity.
Adaptive & Transformative Learning
Learning platforms that help communities adapt, shift mindsets, and transform systems.
Convention Format & Programme
Convention Format & Programme
CWC 2025 will be organized over two days with a mix of plenary sessions, thematic panels, community testimonies, interactive dialogues, exhibitions, and cultural segments. Together, they create a space for evidence, lived experience, and policy to meet.
Inaugural Session
Opening remarks from community representatives, organizers, and key partners, setting the tone on water, climate, and justice.
Thematic Sessions
Parallel panel discussions and roundtables under the four thematic areas, featuring practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and community leaders.
Exhibition & Innovation Fair
Stalls showcasing community initiatives, research outputs, youth projects, and partner programmes.
Closing Plenary & Declaration
Summary of key messages and commitments, including a Convention Declaration capturing shared demands and recommendations.
Upcoming detail: A detailed session-wise programme will be published closer to the event date, including timings, speakers, and session formats.
Call for Abstracts
Call for Abstracts – Share Your Work
CWC 2025 invites abstracts from community practitioners, researchers, students, journalists, activists, and policymakers who are working on issues related to water, climate change, ecosystems, and coastal communities.
Present community experiences and innovations
Share practice-based lessons from projects and programmes
Offer research findings relevant to water & climate justice
Reflect on policies, governance, and financing
Use creative formats: case stories, visual documentation, participatory methods
Submission Guidelines
- • Abstracts should be 100-150 words, written in English or Bangla.
- • Indicate the most relevant thematic area.
- • Include title, author(s), affiliation, email, and contact number.
- • Specify whether it is a presentation, poster, or community story.
- • Selected contributors will be invited to present in thematic sessions or exhibitions.
A detailed session programme will be published closer to the event date.
Submit AbstractPhoto & Video Contest
Coastal Realities, Coastal Hopes – Photo & Video Contest
CWC 2025 will host a Photo & Video Contest to visually document the realities, challenges, and hopes of coastal life. We invite you to capture stories of water, climate, resilience, and justice through your lens.
Submit your entry
Use the form to upload your photos and videos. Winners will be announced during CWC 2025.
Who can participate
Open to participants from Bangladesh and beyond.
- Photographers
- Community members
- Youth & students
- Media professionals (Bangladesh & beyond)
Suggested themes
- Life and livelihoods in coastal communities
- Water, salinity, and everyday struggles
- Climate-induced disasters and displacement
- Community resilience, solidarity, and innovations
- Youth, women, and marginalized voices in coastal regions
Submission guidelines
Please review these before submitting your photos or videos.
- 1
Up to 3 photos and/or 2 short videos (max. 3 minutes each).
- 2
Photo formats: JPEG / PNG. Video format: MP4.
- 3
Provide a title, 50–100 word description, and location for each entry.
- 4
You confirm the work is your own and you have consent from identifiable people.
- 5
Selected entries will be showcased at CWC 2025 and on official channels with full credit.
Use the submission form to upload your entries and provide your details. Winners and featured entries will be announced during CWC 2025.
Exhibition & Innovation Fair
Exhibition & Innovation Fair
CWC 2025 will host an Exhibition & Innovation Fair where organizations, networks, youth groups, and social enterprises can display their work on coastal resilience, water management, climate justice, and community innovation.
Information & Campaign Booths
Showcase initiatives, campaigns, and ongoing community programmes.
Tech & Innovation Demos
Present climate-smart tools such as early-warning systems, water filters, or adaptive agriculture tools.
Publications & Multimedia
Display research outputs, reports, educational materials, or multimedia visuals.
Community Art & Storytelling
Engage visitors with community-led art, stories, and lived experiences.
Booth Registration
Organizations interested in booking an exhibition booth are invited to complete the registration form. Limited spaces are available, with priority for community-based and non-profit initiatives relevant to the Convention themes.
Register for a BoothA detailed exhibitor’s schedule will be shared closer to the event.
Participant Registration
CWC 2025 is open to diverse participants including community representatives, civil society organizations, researchers, government officials, media, students, and development partners.
Participation Categories
- Community Representative / Grassroots Leader
- Civil Society / NGO / CBO
- Researcher / Academic / Student
- Government / Public Institution
- Media & Communication
- Development Partner / International Organization
- Private Sector / Social Enterprise
- Volunteer
- Speaker / Panelist (by invitation or accepted abstract)
Registration Form
Join the Convention
To participate in CWC 2025, please submit your registration details through the form. Confirmed participants will receive updates, a logistics note, and the full programme schedule.
Register NowInformation on fees, waivers, and payment options will be updated here. Grassroots participants may receive financial support.
Call for Volunteers
Volunteer with CWC 2025
CWC 2025 will rely on the energy, creativity, and commitment of volunteers—especially youth from coastal regions and universities.
Volunteers will support logistics, communication, participant support, documentation, and exhibition management during the Convention days and in the lead-up to the event. In return, they will gain experience in event coordination, exposure to national and international networks, and a certificate acknowledging their contribution.
Interested individuals can sign up through the volunteer form, indicating their skills, availability, and areas of interest.
Sign up as a volunteer
It only takes a few minutes to share your interests and availability.
What volunteers support
- Logistics and participant coordination
- Media, communication, and documentation
- Exhibition & side event support
- Guiding and assisting community delegations
You will receive a volunteer certificate and references from the organizers after the Convention.
Media & Press
Media & Press
CWC 2025 welcomes journalists, photo-journalists, citizen reporters, and media outlets interested in covering coastal water and climate justice issues.
Press Access
Attend briefings, request interviews, and access insights directly from community leaders and experts.
Media Kit
A full media kit with press releases, factsheets, visuals, and case stories will be available before the Convention.
Local Journalist Support
Limited support may be available for local journalists from coastal districts, based on resources.
Register as Media
Fill out a short form with your outlet, role, and coverage interests.
Partners & Supporters
Partners & Supporters
CWC 2025 is convened by AOSED in collaboration with a diverse group of national and international partners, networks, and sponsors who share a commitment to water justice and coastal resilience.
Thematic co-hosting
Support for community delegations
Sponsorship of sessions, exhibitions, or media coverage
Knowledge and research partnerships
Featured partners
AOSED
ActionAid Bangladesh
COAST Foundation
JJS
CARE Bangladesh
DORP
PRAAN
CLEAN
Helvetas
Practical Action
Venue & Logistics
Venue & Logistics
Venue: Khulna, Bangladesh
The 3rd Coastal Water Convention will take place in Khulna, Bangladesh, a key gateway to the coastal and deltaic regions of the country. The venue includes accessible meeting halls, exhibition areas, and modern facilities for plenaries and parallel thematic sessions.
A detailed venue address, location map, and nearby accommodation options will be added here closer to the event date.
Logistics Information
Essential travel, accommodation, and accessibility information will be shared here to help participants plan their visit to Khulna.
Transport and accommodation information for out-of-town participants
Local guidance on climate, health precautions, and accessibility
Dedicated contact persons for logistical and participant support
Updates will be published soon
Final logistics note and travel guidance will be released prior to the Convention.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Find quick answers about participation, format, and access for CWC 2025.
CWC 2025 is open to community representatives, NGOs, researchers, government officials, media, students, and development partners working on or interested in coastal water, climate change, and justice issues.
The Convention is grounded in the experiences of coastal Bangladesh but welcomes regional and global perspectives. Participants from other coastal countries and regions are encouraged to join and share their experiences.
Details on registration fees and possible waivers for grassroots participants will be provided on the Registration page. The organizers aim to keep the event as inclusive and accessible as possible.
The organizers are exploring options for limited online participation and streaming of selected sessions. Updates will be posted on this website and shared with registered participants.
Sessions will be primarily conducted in Bangla and English, with efforts to ensure that community voices are clearly heard and understood.
Still have questions? Contact the CWC 2025 Secretariat.