Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has emphasized on global cooperation in resolving water related disasters in a sustainable and resilient world system after COVID-19.
The Prime Minister said, “The growing shortage of clean drinking water, the outbreak of diseases like cholera, typhoid, etc. remind us of the need for water for peace and development.” We have a social responsibility to build stronger and more inclusive international cooperation on water-related issues. “
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reminded the international community in her earlier speech at the 5th UN Special Thematic Session on Water and Disaster on Virtual Platform on Friday that the world is now going through the most severe health crisis of our time for COVID-19 which is causing huge economic and social disasters. Doing and as a result the pace of our sustainable development has slowed down.
The session was organized by the High-Level Experts and Leadership Panel on Water and Disasters (HELP), established to assist the international community, government and partners in mobilizing political will and resources to address water-related disasters.
In her speech, the Prime Minister raised five proposals for the international community to consider in addressing water-related disasters.
In the first and second proposals, she said, the world needs to make a concerted, fruitful, focused and adaptable global effort for safe water, and in particular to share good practices, knowledge and experience, as well as raise political awareness.
The Prime Minister said they have also formulated Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100 with the vision of ‘achieving safe, climate resilient and prosperous Bangladesh delta’ alongside preparing “Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan” for implementing renewable energy and climate resilience projects.
She also said that her government has taken initiatives to build 885 thousand disaster resilient houses for the landless, homeless and displaced families across the country.
To this end, she said, “We have built 16.4 km of sea dykes, 12,000 cyclone shelters and 2 hundred thousand hectares of coastal plantation. Strengthening and increasing height of around 5,700 km of coastal embankment is going on.”
