Published: 04:31 AM, 29 March 2025
Water management: Dhaka seeks 50-year masterplan from China
Bangladesh's Chief Adviser, Professor Muhammad Yunus, meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Friday. -Photo: Chief Adviser GOB
Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus has sought a 50-year masterplan for the management of the rivers and water system in Bangladesh.
He came up with the call when Water Resources Minister of China Li Guoying met him at a state guest house on the third day of his four-day visit to the Asian country.
Prof Yunus praised China's water and flood management system, saying the country has made remarkable progress in handling water issues.
"We face the same challenges as you. We would be happy if you share your experiences," the chief adviser told the Chinese minister.
"Bangladesh is a delta country; we have a country crisscrossed with hundreds of rivers. Water gives us life, but sometimes it becomes an enemy. Now that the population has increased manifold, we have to remain careful what kind of damages it causes to the ecosystem," he added.
Calling China the master of water management, the chief adviser said that Bangladesh has a lot to learn from the country and urged China to share the vision of President Xi Jinping in water management with the country.
"We have come here to learn from you: how we can make water resources useful to people," he said.
Prof Yunus said that the increase of population and demand for development are people grabbing lands by riversides.
The Chinese minister acknowledged that China and Bangladesh share a similar challenge in water management. He promised technical support and expertise to Bangladesh.
"To manage water is a key management issue for Bangladesh; China is facing similar challenges," he said, acknowledging that 85 per cent of Bangladesh's people live in flood-prone plains, which has made water management complicated for the country.
>>Ifad Zahir, AA
