Regional cooperation vital for sustainable rural livelihoods

Speakers says at pre-Saarc dialogue

18 April 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

Regional cooperation is needed in the energy and water sector for sustainable rural livelihood of millions of South Asian poor against the backdrop of global climate change, speakers said yesterday. At a 'Pre-Saarc summit dialogue with journalists', they said the upcoming 16th SARRC Summit must focus on the regional cooperation in those sectors. They said the upcoming Saarc summit due to be held in Bhutan on April 28 and 29 must reflect political will of regional cooperation in sharing common resources like the water and energy to ensure food security and livelihood of rural people who rely heavily on agriculture. The dialogue was jointly organised by Campaign for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (CSRL) in collaboration with Diplomatic Correspondents' Association Bangladesh (DCAB), Climate Action Network South Asia, Imagine a New South Asia, Unnayan Onneshan and Bangladesh Unnayan Parishad (BUP) at a city hotel. BUP Chairman Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmed chaired the dialogue while Chief Whip Abdus Shahid was present as the guest of honour. Experts, politicians and journalists spoke at the dialogue. Dr Ahsan Uddin Ahmed, convener of CSRL, Zahirul Alam, president of DCAB, and Sabihuddin Ahmed, former secretary and high commissioner to the United Kingdom, participated in the dialogue as panel discussants. Associate Prof Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir of Development Studies of Dhaka University presented a keynote speech at the dialogue. The chief whip of Jatiya Sangsad said without political will of the Saarc members bilateral or regional problems could not be solved. Though a number of declarations were made in the previous summits, no effective steps have been taken to materialise the declarations, he added. Dr Kholiquzzaman said trust among the Saarc members is needed to resolve problems. “Getting positive outcome will not be possible if the high-ups of the Saarc countries fail to reach consensus on vital issues like climate change, water management, energy security, food security and livelihood security.” He called on the stakeholders of South Asian countries to make a firm decision in this connection.