On Bangladesh's coast, where mighty Himalayan rivers meet the sea, water defines every rhythm of life, and every struggle.

Rising seas driven by climate change are swallowing low-lying areas, while stronger storms push saltwater further inland, turning wells and lakes brackish, according to government scientists.

For the millions living in the ecologically sensitive deltas of mudflats and mangrove forests, finding clean drinking water has become an escalating challenge.

Cyclone Aila in 2009 was a turning point.

Embankments broke and saltwater swept inland, flooding not only homes, but seeping into once-fertile land.

The water that once sustained communities became undrinkable, and the land began to crack under layers of salt.

The people of Khulna and Satkhira districts today live in

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