Razzaque for plan to address water, sanitation problems
Dhaka, Aug 12 (UNB) – Food and Disaster Management Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque on Sunday underscored the need for taking a comprehensive plan to address the water and sanitation problems in the country.
“Bangladesh is a disaster-prone country and its vulnerability is increasing gradually due to climate change… we need safe water, good sanitation and good environment that are always constrained by disaster hazards,” he told a workshop at the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) auditorium.
The National Alliance for Risk Reduction and Response Initiatives (NARRI) with support from the European Commission, ActionAid, Concern Worldwide, Oxfam, Islamic Relief and Plan organised the workshop to share findings of a study.
Additional secretary to the Disaster Management and Relief Division M Abdul Wazed and directorate general for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection - ECHO, Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh, Olivier Brouant, and country director of Concern Worldwide AKM Musha, among others, spoke at the workshop presided over by DPHE chief engineer Nuruzzaman.
Speaking as the chief guest, Razzaque said Bangladesh is a flood-prone country and its vast areas are inundated every year, causing untold sufferings to the victims.
Referring to the inundation of coastal region, he said huge areas in coastal belt were flooded by saline water due to devastating cyclone Aila in 2009. “We’ve to supply safe drinking water to the affected people for a long period. People are still suffering in the areas.”
The Disaster Management Minister said the Japan government has provided US$ 30 million for Bangladesh to install water treatment plants in the Aila- hit areas to supply safe drinking water to the coastal people.
He suggested adopting location and environment-based technologies to address water and sanitation problems. “The technology for coastal belt and haor region would not be the same.”
About the government’s initiatives to ensure water and sanitation for all, Razzaque said the 6th five-year strategy plan, the disaster management policy and the climate change strategy and action plan have already been taken with a special focus on water and sanitation.
He said resource is very important to implement the programmes and adequate resource is needed to address water and sanitation problems. “We need more fund for the projects of the local government to implement its water sanitation programmes.”
The Minister urged the development partners to provide more fund for Bangladesh to address the water and sanitation problems in the country.
Earlier, Razzaque formally unveiled the study report titled “Mainstreaming of Disaster Risk Reduction into the Government’s Schemes on Water and Sanitation: Gap Analysis and Way Forward” at the workshop.
The study was commissioned by NARRI consortium under the project “A Disaster Resilient Future: Mobilising Communities and Institutions for Effective Risk Reduction” funded by the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO).
“Bangladesh is a disaster-prone country and its vulnerability is increasing gradually due to climate change… we need safe water, good sanitation and good environment that are always constrained by disaster hazards,” he told a workshop at the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) auditorium.
The National Alliance for Risk Reduction and Response Initiatives (NARRI) with support from the European Commission, ActionAid, Concern Worldwide, Oxfam, Islamic Relief and Plan organised the workshop to share findings of a study.
Additional secretary to the Disaster Management and Relief Division M Abdul Wazed and directorate general for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection - ECHO, Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh, Olivier Brouant, and country director of Concern Worldwide AKM Musha, among others, spoke at the workshop presided over by DPHE chief engineer Nuruzzaman.
Speaking as the chief guest, Razzaque said Bangladesh is a flood-prone country and its vast areas are inundated every year, causing untold sufferings to the victims.
Referring to the inundation of coastal region, he said huge areas in coastal belt were flooded by saline water due to devastating cyclone Aila in 2009. “We’ve to supply safe drinking water to the affected people for a long period. People are still suffering in the areas.”
The Disaster Management Minister said the Japan government has provided US$ 30 million for Bangladesh to install water treatment plants in the Aila- hit areas to supply safe drinking water to the coastal people.
He suggested adopting location and environment-based technologies to address water and sanitation problems. “The technology for coastal belt and haor region would not be the same.”
About the government’s initiatives to ensure water and sanitation for all, Razzaque said the 6th five-year strategy plan, the disaster management policy and the climate change strategy and action plan have already been taken with a special focus on water and sanitation.
He said resource is very important to implement the programmes and adequate resource is needed to address water and sanitation problems. “We need more fund for the projects of the local government to implement its water sanitation programmes.”
The Minister urged the development partners to provide more fund for Bangladesh to address the water and sanitation problems in the country.
Earlier, Razzaque formally unveiled the study report titled “Mainstreaming of Disaster Risk Reduction into the Government’s Schemes on Water and Sanitation: Gap Analysis and Way Forward” at the workshop.
The study was commissioned by NARRI consortium under the project “A Disaster Resilient Future: Mobilising Communities and Institutions for Effective Risk Reduction” funded by the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO).
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