The Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100 and Dutch help
In fact, in conducting
a baseline study of the BDP 2100, the Netherlands has already provided its assistance to Bangladesh in the form of technical expertise. For successful implementation of its delta plan, Bangladesh will need continuous Dutch assistance long into the future
It is good to know that Netherlands again has assured Bangladesh that they would offer all kinds of support and assistance for implementing the Bangladesh Delta Plan (BDP) 2100 and Bangladesh should be grateful for this kind of gesture. The Netherlands Minister of Infrastructure and Environment made this commitment to the visiting Bangladesh Prime Minister.
The Netherlands has a unique history of taming the sea and shaping their country. The deltaic country of Bangladesh is also a land of water and the Dutch minister is right that it faces similar problems like their country. The Dutch people know well how effectively a country can make successful their delta plan, because as a nation they did it. After implementation of the first 60-year plan that was started in 1953, the Dutch again have taken up another delta plan. Bangladesh has also its crucial BDP 2100 formulated in 2014 and for its successful implementation, it needs assistance from a country like the Netherlands.
As a nation we are facing various vagaries of nature due to the onslaught of the global climate change. As its southern region is located near the sea and is low lying, any future sea level rise which is predicted, can be disastrous for it. The BDP 2100 is supposed to address issues like flooding, drought, sea level rise, salt water intrusion, water safety, coastal polders, land management, river system management, agriculture, and food security.
In fact, in conducting a baseline study of the BDP 2100, the Netherlands has already provided its assistance to Bangladesh in the form of technical expertise. For successful implementation of its delta plan, Bangladesh will need continuous Dutch assistance long into the future. The Dutch knowledge and experience, their expertise as well as the financial assistance can help Bangladesh to effectively implement its BDP 2100.
The Netherlands is unique among the countries of the world. The greater part of this country consists of lands reclaimed from the sea. They have built gigantic sea walls as barriers against sea level rise. They have a long lead over other countries in water resources management and addressing problems of a dynamic delta country like Bangladesh. Strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation with the Netherlands, thus, is a very prudent course to take.
