The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

Adviser for Water Resources Dr. C. S. Karim yesterday called for adopting an integrated strategy to resolve the water problems in Bangladesh to achieve its millennium development goals.

"If snows in the Himalayas melt it would not only affect Bangladesh, but all the countries concerned will suffer heavily on socio- economic realities", the adviser said while addressing a two-day dialogue on 'Prospect of the Rivers of the Greater Himalayas- Bangladesh Perspective' at a local hotel as the chief guest.

The dialogue has been arranged jointly by the Water Resources Ministry and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with financial support from the World Bank, said a release of the water resources ministry.

The adviser said "Our economy is related closely to our rivers and culture". He said three major tansboundary rivers originated from the Himalaya have passed through Bangladesh to the Bay of Bengal.

"We have to suffer from natural calamities floods every rainy season and erosion, since we do not have control over these rivers", he told the dialogue while stressing on improved relations with

the neighbouring countries and developing common strategies to resolve these problems.

Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Raja Debashish Roy was the special guest at the function. The inaugural section, chaired by secretary of the water resources ministry Mohammad Ayub Mia, was also addressed by David RC Grey, senior adviser of the World Bank.

Among others, Prof. Dr. Sajjadur Rashid of Dhaka University and Mir Sajjad Hossain, member of the joint rivers commission, and Dr.Ainun Nishat, Bangladesh representative of the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN), presented papers on the occasion.

After the inaugural session group discussions were held. Representatives from government departments, universities, NGOs and the media took part in those.

The dialogue is continuation of a process that began last July in Dubai. Its next follow up meeting will be held in Singapore in July.

Dr Sajjadur Rashid in his paper dwelt at length on the Himalayan water ecosystem and the potentials for benefiting from the rivers by all the riparian countries through regional cooperation. Given the needed cooperation Bangladesh could improve its water management and strengthen flood preparedness and reduce losses.

Prof. Rashid explained the water storage and hydro-electric potentials up in Nepal and Bhutan and said that Bangladesh should take initiatives and share costs of construction of such projects in the two countries with a view to sharing their benefits. He said that India has already have agreements with the two countries in this regard.

Dr. Ainun Nishat discussed the water management challenges posed by climate change and dwelt on the needed adaptation strategies.