RAJSHAHI, Sept 28, 20021 (BSS) - Community engagement has become crucial
to ensure integrated water resources management everywhere in the Barind area
to halt the gradual mounting pressure on underground water.
In the present context, integrated water resource management is being
detected as the effective means of mitigating the region's water crisis.
So, all the government and non-government organizations concerned,
including local government institutions, should come forward and work
together.
The observation came at a daylong training workshop titled "Integrated
Water Resource Management (IWRM)" held at Matikata Union Parishad (UP)
Complex on Monday.
The IWRM Project organized the training in collaboration with the Water
Resources Planning Organization (WARPO) and Swiss Red Cross with financial
support of Switzerland.
Matikata UP Chairman Shahidul Islam addressed the meeting as chief guest,
with its Panel Chairman Ruhul Amin in the chair. UP Member Sadequl Islam and
IWRM Members Shila Mormu and Shariful Islam also spoke on the occasion.
IWRM Project Coordinator Jahangir Alam Khan addressed the training
sessions as the focal person highlighting the significance of the workshop.
He also gave an illustration of the project along with its aims, objective
and implementation strategy.
He told the meeting that the IWRM project is being implemented in drought
affected 39 UPs and three pourasavas in Rajshahi, Naogaon and Chapainawabganj
districts with the main thrust of mitigating the existing water crisis
through promotion of integrated water resource management since 2015.
In his remarks, UP Chairman Shahidul Islam said there is no alternative to
conserving the ground water alongside boosting the aquifer recharge for
uplifting the living and livelihood condition of the hard barind tract.
In addition to creating mass awareness about reasonable use of both
surface and groundwater, emphasis should be given on integrated water
resource management.
The occurrence of drought and environment change will aggravate the water
scarcity in future. There should be a balance between groundwater recharge
and withdrawal.
Accordingly, judicious use of surface and groundwater in an integrated
water resources management approach is equally important to mitigate the
impact of drought.
Chairman Islam placed emphasis on proper management of the existing water
resources to protect the region from ecological degradation for safeguarding
the ecological balance in nature.