Eco-friendly infrastructure needed to protect flash flood

HAOR AREA

Water and environment experts yesterday said haor areas need innovative and eco-friendly infrastructures to protect early flash flood as the region has unique geological natures, reports BSS.

Aiming to cope with unique hydro-ecological characteristics, eco-friendly measures should be considered for future planning, design and development in haor areas by relevant organisations, they told a workshop at the CIRDAP auditorium here.

Department of Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Development and Centre for Environmental Geographic Information Services (CEGIS) organised the workshop on “Impact of assessment of structural interventions in haor ecosystem and innovation for solution”.

Water Resource Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud, State Minister for Water Resource Muhammad Nazrul Islam, Director General of Department of Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Development Dr Md Majibur Rahman, Executive Director of CEGIS Engineer Md Waji Ullah, hydrologists and environmentalists, among others, addressed the workshop with Senior Secretary of the Water Resource Ministry Dr Zafar Ahmed Khan in the chair.

Deputy Executive Director of Malik Fida A Khan presented the keynote paper highlighting different aspects of haor region and key interventions to protect early flash flood.

Anisul laid emphasis on constructing and repairing embankments in haor areas considering geographical reality to prevent untimely flood and other natural disasters. "We know flash flood is a major problem for haor region for a long period of time. So, we have to take special planning for the haor region to minimize losses of lives and properties caused by flood,” he added.

He urged the officials and local people to maintain embankments to make it sustainable which will eventually save the country from flood.

Anisul said many major and small rivers and their tributaries are facing

serious navigability problem as all the rivers carry huge quantity of sediment during rainy season every year.

“Our major and small rivers cannot contain much water during rainy season due to navigability problem, which is one of the main reasons for flooding in the country. Taking this into consideration, the government is carrying capital dredging to ensure adequate flow of water during rainy season,” the minister added.

In his keynote presentation, Malik said all submersible embankment should be kept at design level within February to protect early flash flood. As many as 373 haors cover an area of 8590 square kilometers, which is 44 per cent of the total area of the haor region, he added.

 

Eco-friendly infrastructure needed to protect flash flood

HAOR AREA

Water and environment experts yesterday said haor areas need innovative and eco-friendly infrastructures to protect early flash flood as the region has unique geological natures, reports BSS. Aiming to cope with unique hydro-ecological characteristics, eco-friendly measures should be considered for future planning, design and development in haor areas by relevant organisations, they told a workshop at the CIRDAP auditorium here. Department of Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Development and Centre for Environmental Geographic Information Services (CEGIS) organised the workshop on Impact of assessment of structural interventions in haor ecosystem and innovation for solution. Water Resource Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud, State Minister for Water Resource Muhammad Nazrul Islam, Director General of Department of Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Development Dr Md Majibur Rahman, Executive Director of CEGIS Engineer Md Waji Ullah, hydrologists and environmentalists, among others, addressed the workshop with Senior Secretary of the Water Resource Ministry Dr Zafar Ahmed Khan in the chair. Deputy Executive Director of Malik Fida A Khan presented the keynote paper highlighting different aspects of haor region and key interventions to protect early flash flood. Anisul laid emphasis on constructing and repairing embankments in haor areas considering geographical reality to prevent untimely flood and other natural disasters. We know flash flood is a major problem for haor region for a long period of time. So, we have to take special planning for the haor region to minimize losses of lives and properties caused by flood, he added. He urged the officials and local people to maintain embankments to make it sustainable which will eventually save the country from flood. Anisul said many major and small rivers and their tributaries are facing serious navigability problem as all the rivers carry huge quantity of sediment during rainy season every year. Our major and small rivers cannot contain much water during rainy season due to navigability problem, which is one of the main reasons for flooding in the country. Taking this into consideration, the government is carrying capital dredging to ensure adequate flow of water during rainy season, the minister added. In his keynote presentation, Malik said all submersible embankment should be kept at design level within February to protect early flash flood. As many as 373 haors cover an area of 8590 square kilometers, which is 44 per cent of the total area of the haor region, he added.