Meghna Knowledge Forum 2024

Building on key messages from MKF 2021, MKF 2024 (hybrid event) aims to create a learning platform for key stakeholders working on climate resilience, strengthening community livelihoods and addressing poverty reduction in the Meghna River basin.

Objectives 

1. Understand climate change risks in the basin and identify the need for additional research
2. Explore opportunities to apply NbS for climate resilience and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals
3. Strengthen inclusive management of the basin and amplify the voices of youth, women and indigenous communities in decision-making processes

Why Join?

• Collaborate with peers working in the Meghna basin and beyond on climate change resilience, livelihoods and poverty reduction
• Contribute to the development of practical solutions and strategies to addresses community livelihoods resilience and poverty in the Meghna basin

Audience 

Policymakers, academia, representatives from civil society and indigenous people’s organisations – with a focus on youth and women leaders - and donors working in the Meghna River basin in Bangladesh and India, as well as experts working on climate change, Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and inclusive governance of water resources.

Agenda

The MKF 2024 will include three thematic plenaries*, side events, youth forum and knowledge fair, to present and discuss key challenges and opportunities linked to climate change, NbS and inclusion.

Photo: IUCN Asia

*Thematic Plenary I - Strengthening community livelihoods resilience

• Discuss available data and science on the climate change risks and vulnerabilities in the Meghna basin, and how communities are adapting to the change’
• Identify deficiencies in data and knowledge and areas needing further research;
• Discuss the role of private sector and markets

Thematic Plenary II - Ecosystem and biodiversity protection for addressing societal challenges

• Share NbS case studies and tools for enhancing ecosystem resilience;
• Analyse the role of policies and institutions in promoting joint management of ecosystems in the Meghna River basin

Thematic Plenary III - Youth and gender inclusion in the conservation of the Meghna River basin

• Understand how youth and women value water;
• Identify priorities and entry points for youth and gender inclusion in the management of the Meghna basin;
• Provide a platform for dialogue on youth-led biodiversity and climate actions

How to Get Involved

• Participate: We welcome the broad participation of our partners, donors, national and international organisations, as well as academia in our plenary sessions, side events, exhibitions and in various networking opportunities
• Photo & Poster competition: Capture and share challenges faced by local communities in the Meghna Basin through photos and posters at the MKF 2024 exhibition 
• Sponsor: Sponsor the forum or specific side events to gain recognition benefits
• Spread the word:  Media representatives, including journalists, editors and producers, are invited to attend the opening session of the MKF 2024. 

Dates for photo and poster competition as well as sponsorship opportunities will be regularly updated on the website. 

For enquiries related to side events, sponsorship or participation, please contact Vishwa Sinha, Programme Officer, Water and wetlands, South Asia, IUCN Asia at vishwaranjan.sinha@iucn.org 

For media accreditation, please contact Ariela Mcdonald, Communications Officer, IUCN Asia at mcdonaldA@iucn.org

About Meghna River basin

Shared by Bangladesh and India, the Meghna River basin is known for its rich aquatic biodiversity in Asia. It originates in the hills of Manipur (India), where it is referred to as the Barak River. As it flows southwest, the river splits into the Surma River and the Kushiyara River at the Bangladesh-India border, later join in Bhairab Bazar, in Bangladesh to form the Meghna River, which flows south into the ocean in the Bay of Bengal.

It is home to more than 50 million people, including a significant number of indigenous communities who are reliant on forestry, fisheries and agriculture sectors. However, the increasing impact of climate change is putting pressure on these vital sources of livelihoods. The impacts are exacerbated by the loss and degradation of forest and wetlands which reduced the ecological buffer provided that could mitigate some of the impacts of climate change-induced heavy rainfall.

About BRIDGE Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (BRIDGE GBM)

The BRIDGE GBM project is a multi-donor initiative funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Implemented by IUCN and local partners, BRIDGE GBM works at the interface of hydro diplomacy and local governance to promote new approaches for river basin management, by facilitating cooperation, strengthening inter‐governmental capacities, and creating spaces for dialogue and agreements.