& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Water and sustainable development

Accessing to water in general and clean water in particular along with sanitation facilities are paramount needs for sustainable development. It is a complex subject but one that needs to be monitored with great care in our country and this region. Water, we must understand, is a major catalyst for achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and social development.
WE have, over the last few days, been inundated with news about destruction being wrought by die Koshi River in Nepal and Bihar. The international electronic media has highlighted the plight of millions of flood affected people throughout this sub-region. Our domestic electronic media has also telecast reports ofTbcsta, Brahmaputra and the Dharla rivers crossing danger marks and marooning more than a quarter of a million people inside Bangladesh. Our Water Development Board has recently indicated that there is a possibility of 'moderate flooding' but most analysts consider such a prognosis as an under-estimation. There are already suggestions that a major flood may be underway by the end of the first week of September. On the other side there are more reports of draught in Ethiopia and Darfur.
Lack or excess of water, are both problems. Scientists as well as climatologists are now apprehensive that climate variability and change might further exacerbate the existing situation. Implications arising out of changes in the earth's atmosphere and the repercussions of global warming have recently been addressed in an international symposium convened in Dhaka and will again be the focus of atten-tion in the UK-Bangladesh Climate Change Conference' being held in London from September 5 toll.
The Dhaka workshop, also attended by President Grimsson of Iceland agreed that the adverse impacts of climate change is a global issue because it transcends boundaries. It was also reiterated in this meeting that the urgency of the situation required a new type of effective political cooperation that should Include politicians, scientists, businessmen and civil society.
This last factor was also emphasized recently during the prestigious 2008 World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden (between 17th and 22nd August). I had the privilege of participating in some of the significant activities of this Week (in view of my being the Vice President of the Bangladesh Water Partnership) thanks to the Swedish Embassy in Dhaka (an important development partner in water related areas). It was most interesting to see how the scientific, business, policy and civil society communities are advancing the water, environment, health and poverty reduction agendas through exchange of views and sharing of experiences.
This Week focused on a world of rising economic expectations with accelerated urbanization. It also laid emphasis on the fact that our world will add another 2 billion people over the next thirty years. In this context, it reaffirmed the need to build capacity for different professions permitting them to act positively and to facilitate increase of knowledge and a deeper understanding of the links between water-society-environmenteconomy. It also highlighted the promoting of new, pro-active partnerships and alliances between individuals and organizations from different fields of expertise and the strengthening of existing relationships. The week also reviewed the implementation of actions, commitments and decisions in international processes by dincreht stakeholders in response to emerging challenges.
These aspects provided new perspectives and stimuli lor action related to water, environment and development objectives. Different activities within the Week also discussed on how to promote sustainable water practices and adopt new and innovative systems for solving water issues at a local, regional and global level. It was interesting in this context to listen to representatives from South
Africa mention that the continuing development and good management of water resources in a water scarce environment is critical for successful wealth generation and equitable economic development. Their approach was significant because it dealt with a problem that is also present in our own country -- in northwestern Bangladesh (which particularly suffers from acute poverty and Monga infestation at certain times of the year). It was fascinating to hear how South Africa was creating an environment where there could be balance between social, economic, development and environmental imperatives in terms of values. I believe that it will be most useful if we could send some of our hydrologists and planners to South Africa to sec how they are solving their problems. Subsequently, that might be replicated here.
Another important area of discussion was the UN Watercourses Convention and the prospects for the realization of international policy goals. It may be recalled in this regard that in 1997, the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses, with approving votes from more than one hundred nations. Since then, population growth, increases in water demand, growing levels of pollution and climate change coupled with inadequate or nonexistent cooperation frameworks between co watercourse states have aggravated die problems that motivated the Convention s adoption. The Convention has still not been able to attract the required 35 parties to become effective. The Week examined the ongoing process for entrv
into force of the Convention and also looked at the Convention's role in contributing to the achievement of international policy goals
This Convention is of great interest for Bangladesh because of its potential role in preventing interstate conflict in the context of a changing climate, better enabling the implementation of develop ment cooperation programmes, contributing to biodiversity conservation, sustainable use in international watercourses and complimenting existing water governance frameworks. It was most useful listening to the moderated debate and the views expressed on Transboundary Watersheds and the protection, equitable and sustainable use of transboundary water resources. This also assumed added significance when seen against the backdrop of the Technical Report on Water and Climate as presented by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It clarified various facets pertaining to the impacts of climate change on water and the necessary measures that need to be taken in this regard.
The Week also used tangible examples to demonstrate the evolution of the virtual water and the water footprint theories and its application in policy and practice in the field and also by business. Fortunately, there were other water experts from Bangladesh. Like them, 1 had the pleasure of listening to academics illustrating how the concepts of virtual water and the water footprint have helped to improve understanding of the relations between water management, international trade and politics as well as between water resources use and human con-
sumption.
Another subject captured the imagination of the participants. It mirrored the great interest shown by the President of Iceland in Dhaka, when he suggested the formation of a Himalayan Council consisting of countries like Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Bhutan to monitor and manage the common resources available in the Himalayan glaciers and the moun-tain range -- also dubbed as the 'Himalayan Water Towers'. It may be recalled here that climate change poses a serious threat to essential water resources in the Himalayan region putting at risk the livelihoods of 1.3 billion people. Home to the world's largest glaciers and permafrost (other than the two Poles), the Himalayas has seen rapid glacial melting and dramatic changes in rainfall. Bangladesh representatives along with others from China, Nepal, Pakistan and India had a lively exchange of views in the meeting organized for this topic by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). In this regard, stress was laid on urgent need for regional cooperation to avert natural disasters. There were many other focal points which had intensive discussion. It would be pertinent on my part to mention in this context about the dialogue that took place on actions required for promoting transparency, accountability and the Tightlng of corruption in the field of water delivery and gover nance. I he Water Integrity Network and other civil society practitioners actively held panel sessions and identified ways and means for moving forward in this sector. Participants from South Asia, in particular, interfaced with other experts from other regions to find solutions on how to have an open and inclusive global network that promotes anti-corruption activities and coalition-building at the local, regional and global levels, and between actors from civil society, private and public sectors, media and governments.
Accessing to water in general and clean water in particular along with sanitation facilities are paramount needs for sustainable development. It is a complex subject but one that needs to be monitored with great care in our country and this region. Water, we must understand, is a major catalyst for achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and social development. Our planners not only need to give it greater priority but also make available more resources for the implementation of its projects.
I would also like to take this opportunity, before I conclude, to express my deepest sorrow on the untimely and sudden passing away a few days ago of Engineer Qamrul Islam Siddique, President of the Bangladesh Water Partnership. A former Secretary to the government and an internationally known activist in the water and energy sector, he will be greatly missed by his admirers for his wisdom and commitment related to all water and environment issues. We attended the World Water Week 2008 Conference in Stockholm together. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
Muhammad Zarmr is a former Secretary and Ambassador and can be reached at mzarrur@dhaka.net