Water.org celebrates reaching 10 million people with safe water and sanitation

The Bangladesh WaterCredit Forum 2025, organised by Water.org, brought together experts, policymakers, and financial institutions to discuss innovative ways to fund water and sanitation solutions, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6).

The forum, held in Dhaka, marked a major milestone: the WaterCredit programme has now reached 10 million people. WaterCredit is a micro-lending initiative focused on expanding access to financing for water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).

In a virtual address, Vedika Bhandarkar, President and COO of Water.org, praised Bangladesh's leadership, saying, "Bangladesh has shown the world how catalytic capital can transform lives. The journey ahead demands even greater collaboration and creativity."

Sajid Amit, Executive Director of Water.org South Asia and Country Director of Bangladesh, gave the welcome address. He highlighted the need for policy action to scale up water and sanitation so that the 40 million people in Bangladesh who currently lack access to these services can benefit.

The keynote speech was delivered by Md Fazlul Kader, Managing Director of PKSF, who said, "Microfinance has proven its potential in WASH. Now is the time to mainstream these models and unlock new capital flows."

The forum highlighted Bangladesh's growing role in global WASH financing and its commitment to achieving SDG 6 through inclusive and innovative financial models. The event was attended by leaders from private commercial banks, microfinance institutions (MFIs), government organisations, social enterprises, and fintech companies, as well as high-profile policymakers.