The Daily Star      Volume 3 Number 903        Fri. March 22, 2002 
  
       Seminar on 'Water for Development'

      Formulation of fresh national water policy suggested



      STAFF CORRESPONDENT


      Speakers at a national seminar yesterday underscored the formulation of a 
      new national water policy and action plan by ensuring the active 
      participation of the people at grassroots levels.

      People will not accept any policy if it is formulated without their 
      participation and no policy can be effective and bring any positive result 
      for national development if the indigenous knowledge of the people is 
      ignored, they said.

      The World Water Forum of Journalists (WWFJ) and Forum of Environmental 
      Journalists of Bangladesh (FEJB) organised the seminar on "Water for 
      Development" with the assistance of the Ministry of Environment and Forest 
      and UNDP at the National Press Club.

      The seminar was organised to mark the World Water Day. The theme of the 
      day this year is "Water for Development."

      Presided over by WWFJ secretary general and FEJB Chairman Quamrul Islam 
      Chowdhury, it was addressed by experts, journalists and policy planners, 
      who have long been seeking to formulate a pro-people master plan on water 
      in a broader perspective.

      The speaker criticised various international agencies as they prescribed 
      the use of groundwater for irrigation and drinking purpose, which 
      apparently caused arsenic contamination in the groundwater. 

      Over half of the population of the country is now at risk of arsenic 
      poisoning due to wrong prescriptions as well as lack of any proper 
      solution to get rid of the arsenic contamination in the groundwater, they 
      added.

      The participants said people of Bangladesh have been facing serious water 
      crisis both in dry and rainy season due to lack of proper water 
      management. 

      "Although there is enough water in the rainy season, but the country has 
      no mechanism to preserve the monsoon water that can be used in the lean 
      period."

      The seminar noted that most of the water-related problems stemmed from 
      external factors like cross-border sharing of water. Inter-state 
      cooperation and interventions are needed to solve these problems, the 
      speakers said.

      They identified that bad water management in Bangladesh is the root cause 
      of all sorts of problems and sufferings of the people. 

      They said the indigenous knowledge of people must be incorporated in any 
      national policy or action plan side by side modern technology for 
      formulating an appropriate water management plan that will help achieve 
      sustainable development.

      The speakers also called for bringing revolutionary changes in the 
      national policy strategy to ensure people's socio-economic development.
      Besides, changes should have to be made in the regional and international 
      strategies for appropriate utilisation of water, they added and stressed 
      the formulation of a long-term national, regional and global water 
      policies.

      The seminar was addressed, among others, by Director of Water Development 
      Board Mohammad Moatter, journalists Badiul Alam, AKM Hanif, Fazlul Bari, 
      Sarwar Jahan, Shamima Chowdhury, Abdul Jalil Bhuiyan, Anwar Hossain Manju 
      and Mofizur Rahman.