Beyond the build-neglect-rebuild cycle: saving Bangladesh’s water infrastructure

How can Bangladesh ensure that its water infrastructure continues to function long after construction is completed? At the annual Bangladesh Water Platform Meeting in The Hague, experts, policymakers and private sector representatives explored new approaches to maintenance, financing and public-private cooperation.

“We ask for 100, we get 10 for maintenance.” With these words, Shoubhik Ganguly of consultancy Rebel quoted representatives of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), capturing a core problem of water management in Bangladesh. While substantial investments are made in building new infrastructure, funding for maintaining existing assets remains chronically insufficient.

As a result, a pattern has emerged that experts call the build-neglect-rebuild cycle: embankments erode, drainage systems fail and vital infrastructure that should protect communities for decades requires premature requires costly repairs or reconstruction.

Breaking that cycle was a central theme of the annual Bangladesh Water Platform Meeting, organised by Partners for Water in The Hague on 28 October 2026. The gathering brought together representatives from government, businesses and knowledge institutions to explore how Bangladesh and the Netherlands can work together towards more sustainable water management.

A system that rewards construction

One of the afternoon’s presentations came from Md. Rubaiyath Sarwar of Innovision Consulting, who joined the meeting remotely from Bangladesh. He presented the findings of a systems analysis examining why the BWDB struggles to move from project-based construction towards long-term asset management. Have a look at the presentation here.

Their analysis showed how institutional incentives, procurement rules and budget structures favour building new infrastructure over maintaining what already exists. Organisations are assessed on the number of projects they implement and the funds they spend, rather than on how effectively they manage existing infrastructure.

Donor funding also tends to support construction rather than subsequent operation and maintenance, although there are trends towards addressing this. Meanwhile, procurement procedures reward the lowest bidder, leaving little incentive for contractors to invest in solutions that might extend an asset’s lifespan.

As Sarwar put it: “The system is almost rewarding failure.”

The flood of follow-up questions demonstrated how engaged the audience were. Participants even had to bend down to speak into microphones placed on the floor – perhaps a fitting metaphor for the challenges in Bangladesh: finding solutions requires all parties to be willing to meet each other halfway and look at things from a different perspective.

Can private investment help?

The second major theme was the potential role of public-private partnerships (PPPs). Ganguly presented five possible projects, selected from more than sixty initial proposals, that could demonstrate how performance-based contracts might encourage better long-term maintenance.

Rather than paying contractors primarily for construction or repairs, these arrangements would reward them for how well the infrastructure performs over time. This would give private partners a financial incentive to keep infrastructure functioning properly and prevent the need for major repairs.

The proposed projects included wastewater treatment in Dhaka, canal maintenance, river dredging and flood protection. Some concepts also explore whether activities such as solar power generation on an embankment could provide additional income to help fund upkeep.

When Ganguly identified the proposed wastewater project in Dhaka as particularly promising, an audience member suggested considering nature-based wastewater treatment. While Ganguly acknowledged the potential of such approaches, he pointed to the enormous volumes of wastewater generated in densely populated Dhaka. “Nature-based solutions take a bit of time to clean up the water and that will get overwhelmed by the quantity of wastewater coming into these lakes.”

For Dhaka, Ganguly saw a more practical solution in diverting wastewater to an existing treatment plant operating at only half its capacity. This could serve as an interim measure while the city’s sewerage network is developed. “You don’t need to invest in a new sewage treatment plant. It just needs diversion.”

Who pays for maintenance?

Financing remained a concern. Unlike electricity or drinking water, flood protection generates no direct revenue, while charging small boats to use rivers is often unrealistic. As Ganguly put it: ‘They can’t afford any charge, plain and simple.’

Asked why larger vessels could not be charged for using waterways, Ganguly explained that Bangladesh prioritises keeping transport and trade costs low. ‘That’s a choice,’ Aart van der Horst of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs commented, pointing out that maintenance must ultimately be paid for.

A changing partnership

The meeting took place against the backdrop of a broader shift in Dutch-Bangladeshi cooperation. Van der Horst outlined how the relationship is evolving from traditional development assistance towards a wider economic and political partnership. “We would like to work towards a more equal relationship, less Official Development Assistance (ODA) and more investment and trade,” he told participants.

The Dutch embassy’s bilateral water programme in Bangladesh amounts to approximately €11.7 million in 2026 and is expected to be gradually phased out by 2032. Van der Horst emphasised, however, that this does not mean the end of Dutch development financing. Other channels, including RVO, Invest International and FMO, will remain relevant, although funding will not necessarily be reserved for Bangladesh.

The embassy’s future priorities include delta and water management, urban and industrial water, transboundary water management and links between water and sectors such as agriculture, textiles and maritime industries. Van der Horst also stressed the diplomatic value of water cooperation; “Water is always a good entry point.”

A Bangladeshi participant questioned whether Dutch cooperation sufficiently reflected Bangladesh’s changing political and economic circumstances, calling for a broader approach that better reflects the country’s priorities. Many in the audience nodded in agreement, underlining the importance of ensuring that future cooperation responds to Bangladesh’s own needs.

Beyond the meeting

Conversations continued after the presentations, as participants made new contacts and explored opportunities for collaboration. Reflecting on Sarwar’s research into water infrastructure maintenance, one participant remarked: “For me, this project was an eye-opener. It’s looking at the same problem from a completely different perspective.”

With lively discussions, new insights and no shortage of complex challenges, it was once again a fruitful afternoon.