The government has taken up a 100-year mega project to reduce climate change risks in Padma-Meghna-Jamuna floodplains and ensure best water safety, food security and a sustained economic growth.
The project titled Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100 Formulation involves 19 thematic surveys on river system management, impact of climate change, disaster management, and protection of environment and livestock at a cost of Tk87.86 crore.
The surveys are targeted at preparing scientific vision projections for 2025, 2050 and 2100.
The General Economics Division of the Planning Ministry is implementing the project with Dutch financial and technical assistance to formulate holistic and comprehensive plans of different terms for the next 50-100 years.
Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal launched the project at the NEC Conference Room yesterday.
The delta plan is the result of a project being implemented from July last year to December next year.
The minister said Bangladesh, the largest delta in the world with rivers and floodplains supporting life and livelihoods, economy and ecology, already faced high pressure on its available land, water resources and environment because of poor management and high population density. This “now calls for achieving sustainable development through sustainable production and consumption.”
So, there was a higher need within the Bangladesh delta to improve the living conditions of the people through effective management and governance of land, river and other natural resources, he said.
Mustafa suggested that there was a need for an integrated approach to future land use and water management in relation to water safety and food security; governance also needed to be strengthened, integrated and focused on addressing Bangladesh’s future challenges.
The minister said it had become imperative to develop a holistic longterm vision to optimise short-term interventions and investments to prepare for future challenges.
Keeping these views in mind, the government initiated the formulation of the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100, he said.
The delta plan will focus on effective river dredging and river bank protection, construction of embankments, management of low lying land reclaimed from rivers, lives and assets, proper utilisation of low lying areas for lives and livelihoods, particularly in the coastal belt.
Disaster Management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya said because of its geo-physical location, topography and high population density Bangladesh risked recurring natural and human-induced hazards with an average 10 million people affected every year.
Describing measures so far taken by his ministry in disaster management, cyclone preparedness and relief operation, Maya said the delta plan would come up with new innovative inputs for framing successive national plans for the next 50-100 years.
He said the envisaged detailed studies in 19 thematic areas would provide precise suggestions that needed to be revisited in the current Standing Orders on Disaster last revised in 2010.
Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud said: “We have already completed protection work of 265km river bank, constructed 538km new embankments, repaired 1,401km embankments, built 35 bridges and culverts, excavated 366km drainage canals and 129km irrigation canals.
He expressed hope that the studies would help cast a fresh look on the country’s river dredging strategy for augmenting their flows in dry season and maintaining navigability throughout the year.
“However, questions still remain to address: Whether we should continue expensive dredging activities and at the same time refill our riverbeds with sediments settled due to low flow during dry season and soil erosion,” Anisul said.
He put emphasis on having an integrated plan for haors, baors and beels to optimise the abstraction of natural resources of these areas without disturbing the ecological balance.
