Abstract

Water pollution’s intricate interplay with Sustainable Development (SD), water rights and the challenges faced by countries like Bangladesh. The global pursuit of sustainable development underscores the paramount importance of improving water quality, mitigating pollution, and ensuring safe water access, especially as outlined in SDG 6. Bangladesh grapples with a complex amalgamation of geographical, demographic, and socio-economic vulnerabilities, hindering its progress in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Rapid urbanization, industrialization, and limited safe water access converge to fuel a dire public health crisis attributed to water pollution. Water pollution, marked by detrimental alterations to water’s physical, chemical, and organic attributes, results in toxic water unfit for consumption or essential purposes like agriculture. This pollution’s toll on global public health is stark, leading to diseases like cholera and typhoid, causing deaths. The fundamental human right to life encompasses safeguarding against environmental hazards, making safe and affordable drinking water pivotal. Aligning efforts to preserve water quality with SDGs and the Post-2015 Development Agenda is crucial. Despite international and municipal legal obligations and various regulatory bodies in Bangladesh, including landmark court decisions, water-related SDGs remain elusive. This article highlights the research gap and the absence of a coherent governmental strategy. Through identifying deficiencies in water-related laws, policies and regulations, this study seeks to shed light on current state of water pollution, ramifications and a comparative study with SDGs.