Dhaka – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has suggested for nature-based solutions to water management in Bangladesh, criss-crossed by hundreds of rivers and their tributaries carrying waters mostly from the Himalaya.

The government have been trying to ensure an equitable share of all trans-boundary rivers with India, with which Bangladesh shares 54 rivers, she said while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the ‘World Water Day-2018’ programme at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Dhaka.

Hasina also underscored the needs for maintaining navigability of the rivers and harvesting of the rain waters for better water management during the lean seasons.

But, she said, “The solution should be found out on our own through river dredging and reservation of the rain water.”

The government has given utmost importance to river dredging whereas the regimes assumed power after Bangabandhu’s murder had not taken the initiative for maintaining navigability of the rivers.

Laying importance on nature-based solutions to water problems, the Hasina said there are no alternative to the nature-based solutions for facing the mounting challenges of water resources management.

“Nature-based solution of different water problems is the demand of the present time and it must be encouraged,” she said.

About the solution of Teesta water sharing with India, the prime minister said Bangladesh should have considered more wisely about the future impact before construction of the Teesta Barrage as we live in downstream.

“Now, we are in problem with the barrage. So, the more rain water we would be able to harvest the more we will be benefitted,” she said.

Water Resources Minister Anwar Hossain Monju and State Minister Nazrul Islam were present on the occasion chaired by acting secretary of the ministry Kabir Bin Anwar.

A documentary on the water management and activities of the Water Resources Ministry was displayed while the theme song on the World Water Day was played.

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