Promote traditional solutions to combat climate change: speakers

As the effects of climate change are gradually becoming a reality, it is important to come to an agreement about water sharing and realise the significance of traditional innovations and solutions, speakers said at the concluding session of the 6th International Water Conference held on Friday.

Water is a common good and key natural resource. It is an important component of bilateral relationship, said Nathalie Chuard, Ambassador, The Switzerland Embassy in Bangladesh. "We should learn to peacefully manage our common water," she said.

The conference, organised by ActionAid Bangladesh, was held virtually this year.

"By the year 2050, the demand of water will go up by 50 percent," said Saber Hossain Chowdhury, chairman of the standing committee of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

"The Barendra areas of Bangladesh are drought prone and people are dependent on ground water for their irrigation. However, ground water is getting depleted and during dry or winter season, water scarcity becomes a big problem," said Prof Saleemul Huq, Director of International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCAD).

Ken O'Flaherty, COP26 Regional Ambassador of Asia Pacific and South Asia, stated that the United Kingdom has pledged GBP 11.4 billion over the next five years to rein in the effects of climate change, half of which is to be spend on adaptation.

Earlier, during the first thematic session, titled "Water and Climate: Grassroot Innovations and Solutions", speakers emphasised on grassroots innovations and solutions over technological solutions.

Dr Dipak Gyawali, former Nepalese Minister of Water Resources, elaborated on how local communities have a different perspective on water resource management. Local solutions and innovations such as brushwood dam or rubber dams can be more useful to combat the effects of climate change in some regards, he mentioned.

Dr Liyan Zheng -- Professor and Director, Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Tianjin University of Finance and Economics -- argued that policy makers should carefully investigate and study existing grassroots innovations and solutions before developing any policy.

Farah Kabir, Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh, stated, "We should shift from land-centric to water centric approach".

As women and the young girls are the key managers of household water resources, they should have access to water-related decision making, she added.

Among others, Ibrahim Khalil Al-Zayad, general assembly member of ActionAid International Bangladesh Society; Dr Bushra Nishat, Environmental Specialist, South Asia Region Environment Unit, World Bank; Dr Vanh Mixap, Business Innovation Program Lead at Melbourne Water; and Dr Imtiaz Ahmed, Professor, Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka;  were also present during the closing session of the three-day international conference.