The World Water Day will be observed in the country on Friday (March 22) as elsewhere in the globe.
This year’s World Water Day theme is ‘Water For Peace’.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages on the eve of the day.
The President, in his message, said to ensure balanced availability of water, equitable distribution and sustainable use of water from source to consumer must be ensured through proper management of water resources.
The head of the state said that global public awareness needs to be raised on the impact of climate change and the sustainable use, conservation and sustainable management of water resources.
There is no alternative to water for agriculture, transportation, fish production and urbanization and industrialization in Bangladesh which is a country of rivers, he added.
He called upon individuals and all public and private institutions to take effective initiatives to ensure planned and moderate use of the precious natural resource ‘Water’.
In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the Water Act, the National Water Policy and the Water Regulations have already been formulated with the aim of introducing water resource management and water use discipline.
The Ministry of Water Resources has been taking necessary steps regarding river management, flood control, irrigation and drainage and prevention of river bank erosion.
In addition, modern information technologies are being used to implement various projects including digital flood forecasting and flood maps and early warning at people’s doorsteps, which are expected to play a leading role in the implementation of Smart Bangladesh.
The Premier said the Awami League government has already taken different development programmes for water management.
She said her government has formulated Bangladesh Delta Plan-2100 aiming to build a delta tolerant to climate change impacts.
“I hope that proper implementation of plans and proper water resource management in line with the Bangladesh Delta Plan-2100 would help build a Sonar Bangle as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” said the prime minister.
She hoped that the planned management of water will play a leading role in protecting the balance of climate and nature as well as biodiversity.
World Water Day is observed annually on March 22 as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
The United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution by which March 22 of each year was declared World Day for Water, to be observed starting in 1993, in conformity with the recommendations of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) contained in Chapter 18 (Fresh Water Resources) of Agenda 21.
