Barisal Correspondent :
Participants of a human chain and rally in Barisal called for on Sunday.
They stressed on saving water bodies, preventing extraction of ground water, preventing pollution and increasing use of surface water in southern region.
The programme was organised by alliance to observe the World Water Day in front of Ashwini Kumar Hall and participated by different government and non-government organisations.
Since 1992, the United Nations observing March 22 as the World Water Day with the objective to raise awareness, both on the potential for increased cooperation and on the challenge of water management in the light of the increase in demand for water access, allocation and services.
This year theme of the Day was water for sustainable development, the organisers told.
Prof. M Moazzem Hossain, president Conscious Citizen Committee, presided over the programme addressed among others by Prof Shah Sajeda, Dr. Habibur Rahman, Akkas Hossain, Anowar Zahid, Shuvangkar Chakraborty, rights and NGO activists.
Zone-specific planning and allocation should be the focal point of water cooperation in Bangladesh context to ensure sufficient water supply needed for sustainable development, the speakers pointed out.
“Water management is challenging in the country’s coastal region, haor, char lands and flood-prone areas of southern Bangladesh. It requires full engagement of the communities and local actors, including local government institutions, they said.
Local socio-economic, cultural and educational issues should also be taken in to consideration in terms of water cooperation, they suggested.
Southern part of Bangladesh is gradually turning into a water-scarce region in the country with threats of rapidly advancing salinity because of its geographical position and increasing extraction of ground water, the speakers noticed.
Expressing grave concern over increasing ground water extraction and surface water pollution, they called all concerned to work together for fulfillment of basic human needs by saving the environment for ensuring sustainable socio-economic development.
The government should immediately formulate and implement proper water management system by using modern filtering technology and constructing water treatment plant to ensure safe surface water for all especially for poor and vulnerable people, they said.
They said water flow of the rivers; canal should be regulated and properly connected with other surface water bodies through cooperation and providing new filtering technologies to get more safe surface water for use.
BSS from Rangpur adds: Speakers at a seminar here have stressed for ensuring proper management of natural water to cope with its acute scarcity that affects agriculture, environment and bio-diversity amid adverse impacts of climate change.
They were addressing the seminar jointly organised by the district
administration and the Public Health and Engineering Department (DPHE) at the Deputy Commissioner’s conference room in the city on Sunday in observance of the World Water Day.
Earlier, a huge colourful rally joined by the officials, employees of different government and non-government organisations, students, teachers, human rights and social activists, professionals and the elite, was brought out in the city.
Deputy Commissioner Farid Ahammad attended and addressed the seminar as the chief guest with Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Dr ATM Mahbubul Karim in the chair.
Executive Engineer of the DPHE Badsha Mian delivered keynote presentation narrating the present water situation, its scarcity and prevailing problems at the local, regional, national and global levels with suggestions for way- out.
Taking part in the discussion, the speakers laid special emphasis on
strengthening equity-based international cooperation on water sharing and its proper management in the greater interest of all nations amid changed climatic conditions.
They stressed for strengthening capacity and governance at national,
regional and international levels, promoting technology transfer, mobilising more financial resource, scaling up good practice and lesson learned to cope with water scarcity.
They also called for equity-based international cooperation and comprehensive actions adopting the latest scientific methods and technologies to ensure the best management and use of water and it’s just sharing among the nations.
The chief guest put special emphasis on ensuring proper management of
natural water, innovating newer technologies and ways for enhancing
capacities for conserving rain water to cope with water scarcity being caused by adverse climate change impacts.
