BSS, Dhaka :Water Resources Minister Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud yesterday said the much-expected Teesta river water sharing issues between Bangladesh and India will be resolved very soon. “We are very much hopeful to settle the issues of Teesta water sharing through understanding between the countries,” he told a seminar marking 12 years completion of Centre for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS) at RAOWA Convention Hall here. Former Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda, Vice Chancellor of BRAC University Dr Ainun Nishat, water experts, engineers, researchers and officials, among others, addressed the function with Water Resources Secretary Dr Zafar Ahmed Khan in the chair. Executive Director of CEGIS Engr. Md Waji Ullah presented the keynote paper at the function. Anisul said, “Water is central to the life and culture of Bangladesh. People of the country suffer both from flood and riverbank erosion in almost every year due to its geographical character.” He said, water related problems and challenges are becoming more complex for Bangladesh as consequences of climate change are likely to hit the whole water resources sector.Anisul said, “We need an integrated water resources management to deal adverse impact of climate change and complex river morphology systems to ensure sustainable development in the country.”Other speakers said Bangladesh has huge water problems and challenges now, and they are likely to grow more with growing population, development and climate change. The growing population of Bangladesh combined with climate change poses huge challenges for water resources management in Bangladesh, they added.As part of the observation of CEGIS Era, cover of two books of CEGIS was unveiled at the seminar. CEGIS also launched its maiden video film at the seminar that demonstrated the activities and achievements of the centre. CEGIS, a public trust under the Ministry of Water Resources, is a centre of excellence in research, development and service provision in a variety of fields, such as water resources environment, ecology, agriculture, fisheries, forestry, power and climate change.
