Water experts at a seminar yesterday suggested forming a regional forum of the co-riparian countries aimed at better management of the river basins to reduce disaster risks and help alleviate rural poverty.

Lack of integrated river basin management in the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna river system is causing huge riverbank erosion, loss of land and poverty, the expert said adding that strong political commitment among the countries is now imperative to this end.

To deal with these issues, a regional forum should be formed with representatives from the co-riparian countries— India, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Bangladesh, they said.

The Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (C1RDAP) organised the seminar on "Watershed management for rural development and poverty alleviation in CIRDAP member countries" at its auditorium in the city marking its 31st founding

anniversary.

CIRDAP could come forward and take such an initiative to resolve water-related problems in the region, said MA Quassem, chairman of the national disaster management advisory council.

"Monsoon flood and flash flood are annual hazards in Bangladesh," he said in his keynote paper adding that such hazards cause huge damage to agriculture and livestock sectors.

During the dry season, water availability is around 90 billion cubic metres though the demand is about 147 billion cubic metres, he said, adding: "This leads to drought-like situations in large parts of the country."

Due to inadequate surface water, ground water is extensively used for irrigation that deteriorates water quality, said Quassem, also member of national water resources council.

Extraction of surface water upstream causes reduction of flow in the rivers downstream during the dry season, he said.

He said 9,000 hectares of land is lost

due to about 1,200km of riverbank erosion in the trans-boundary river system annually.

"Bangladesh also receives pollution from across the border through trans-boundary rivers," Quassem said and suggested regional programmes to conserve natural resources— water, forest and soil.

Dr SI Khan, who teaches disaster management at BRAC University, said earthen or rock structures in appropriate manners in the river basins could also check soil erosion, store the excess runoff to properly channel it.

Expressing concern over five metres depletion of underground water in many parts of the country during dry season, he said there will be shortage of drinking water if the underground water table depletes by 8 metres.

He suggested more preservation and utilisation of surface water.

Akram Chowdhury, MP, CIRDAP director general Durga P Paudyal, director SK Singh, programme officer SMA Khan, among others, spoke.