Water can no longer be a free input: PM

SAARC still alive, Hasina says

Describing water as a wealth, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said it can no longer be a free input and infinite resource to production or development, UNB reports.
“Water can no longer be a free input and infinite resource to production or development. Water has to be approached as a most critical global common in respect of sustainable development," she said while addressing an event here titled ‘World’s Underwater’ at Congress Centre of BetaZone.
Terming water technology crucial, the Prime Minister called for ensuring greater access to technologies, support to develop adaptive solutions in improving water use efficiency across the entire chain of production and processing. "In climate change context that is when we can develop less water-intensive, stress-tolerant varieties."
She also underscored the need for further efforts to facilitate trans-boundary agreements and joint governing institutions for all basins and aquifers, saying collaboration on water demands 'mutual trust' and 'respect' among peoples, states and business.
Sheikh Hasina stressed the importance of cooperation in freshwater and oceanic resources as an equaliser in addressing inequalities, and collaboration on developing and utilising trans-boundary freshwater resources that can make great economics great.
"Collaboration on water demands mutual trust and respect among peoples, states and business. We must approach collaboration in terms of securing shared prosperity through shared

responsibility, securing win-win outcome and equitable benefit-sharing among the all states and communities," she said.
She also mentioned Bangladesh’s peaceful delimitation of its maritime boundaries with Myanmar and India in the Bay of Bengal.
The Prime Minister said Bangladesh industry is trying to source cost-effective solutions and technologies to transform and be responsible partner in global supply chains. "But, if innovative solutions or technologies are prohibitive, neither states not business gain," she said.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Hasina has strongly advocated for the continuation of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) saying that it is very much alive.  
"The effectiveness of SAARC is still there and, I think, there's a lot to work on it...SAARC is very much alive," she said while speaking in an interactive session titled 'Harnessing Regional Cooperation in South Asia' at the Congress Centre, Aspen 1, on Tuesday evening on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2017.
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Indian Minister for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman and a Pakistani Civil Society member, among others, took part in the interactive session.
Talking about the issue whether SAARC is dead, the Prime Minister said there is no such scope in its charter for resolving bilateral issues through discussions. Referring to the postponement of the last SAARC Summit in Pakistan, Hasina said, "What did happen that one SAARC Summit was postponed. There's no reason for apprehension...the next SAARC Summit could take place in near future."
SAARC, founded in Dhaka on December 8, 1985, is a regional intergovernmental organisation and geopolitical union of nations in South Asia. Its member states include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. SAARC comprises 3 percent of the world's area, 21 percent of the world's population and 9.12 percent of the global economy, as of 2015.
Putting emphasis on forging a regional cooperation to change the fate of the people of this region, Hasina said poverty is the main energy of this region and the main emphasis should be on how to eradicate poverty.
She also suggested boosting trade and commerce, connectivity, and people-to-people contact among this region saying her government has been working to this end.
The prime minister said for the past four decades, Bangladesh has been steadfast in pursuing regional cooperation agenda in South Asia. In the 80s, Bangladesh worked with its regional partners to form SAARC and in the 90s, Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec).
 "Later, we worked for sub-regional formations like South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC). Most recently, we've formed Bangladesh – Bhutan – India – Nepal (BBIN) and Bangladesh–China–India–Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCIM-EC) to expand regional cooperation," she added.
To boost economic activities of this region on a larger scale, the BCIM-EC is being implemented integrating big countries like China.
She mentioned that the road connectivity is being boosted among the region, including the BBIN countries, while waterways protocol has been renewed with India apart from strengthening Safta.
Besides, she informed that a plan is also there to launch SAARC satellite to boost cooperation in telecommunication among the member countries. Asked about the Bangladesh government's steps in combating the impacts of climate change, Hasina said her government had formed the climate change trust fund with own funding of $400 million without relying on others alongside framing some 134 action plans to prudently tackle the impacts of climate change.

 

Water can no longer be a free input: PM

SAARC still alive, Hasina says

Describing water as a wealth, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said it can no longer be a free input and infinite resource to production or development, UNB reports. Water can no longer be a free input and infinite resource to production or development. Water has to be approached as a most critical global common in respect of sustainable development, she said while addressing an event here titled Worlds Underwater at Congress Centre of BetaZone. Terming water technology crucial, the Prime Minister called for ensuring greater access to technologies, support to develop adaptive solutions in improving water use efficiency across the entire chain of production and processing. In climate change context that is when we can develop less water-intensive, stress-tolerant varieties. She also underscored the need for further efforts to facilitate trans-boundary agreements and joint governing institutions for all basins and aquifers, saying collaboration on water demands mutual trust and respect among peoples, states and business. Sheikh Hasina stressed the importance of cooperation in freshwater and oceanic resources as an equaliser in addressing inequalities, and collaboration on developing and utilising trans-boundary freshwater resources that can make great economics great. Collaboration on water demands mutual trust and respect among peoples, states and business. We must approach collaboration in terms of securing shared prosperity through shared responsibility, securing win-win outcome and equitable benefit-sharing among the all states and communities, she said. She also mentioned Bangladeshs peaceful delimitation of its maritime boundaries with Myanmar and India in the Bay of Bengal. The Prime Minister said Bangladesh industry is trying to source cost-effective solutions and technologies to transform and be responsible partner in global supply chains. But, if innovative solutions or technologies are prohibitive, neither states not business gain, she said. Meanwhile, Sheikh Hasina has strongly advocated for the continuation of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) saying that it is very much alive. The effectiveness of SAARC is still there and, I think, theres a lot to work on it...SAARC is very much alive, she said while speaking in an interactive session titled Harnessing Regional Cooperation in South Asia at the Congress Centre, Aspen 1, on Tuesday evening on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2017. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Indian Minister for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman and a Pakistani Civil Society member, among others, took part in the interactive session. Talking about the issue whether SAARC is dead, the Prime Minister said there is no such scope in its charter for resolving bilateral issues through discussions. Referring to the postponement of the last SAARC Summit in Pakistan, Hasina said, What did happen that one SAARC Summit was postponed. Theres no reason for apprehension...the next SAARC Summit could take place in near future. SAARC, founded in Dhaka on December 8, 1985, is a regional intergovernmental organisation and geopolitical union of nations in South Asia. Its member states include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. SAARC comprises 3 percent of the worlds area, 21 percent of the worlds population and 9.12 percent of the global economy, as of 2015. Putting emphasis on forging a regional cooperation to change the fate of the people of this region, Hasina said poverty is the main energy of this region and the main emphasis should be on how to eradicate poverty. She also suggested boosting trade and commerce, connectivity, and people-to-people contact among this region saying her government has been working to this end. The prime minister said for the past four decades, Bangladesh has been steadfast in pursuing regional cooperation agenda in South Asia. In the 80s, Bangladesh worked with its regional partners to form SAARC and in the 90s, Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec). Later, we worked for sub-regional formations like South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC). Most recently, weve formed Bangladesh Bhutan India Nepal (BBIN) and BangladeshChinaIndiaMyanmar Economic Corridor (BCIM-EC) to expand regional cooperation, she added. To boost economic activities of this region on a larger scale, the BCIM-EC is being implemented integrating big countries like China. She mentioned that the road connectivity is being boosted among the region, including the BBIN countries, while waterways protocol has been renewed with India apart from strengthening Safta. Besides, she informed that a plan is also there to launch SAARC satellite to boost cooperation in telecommunication among the member countries. Asked about the Bangladesh governments steps in combating the impacts of climate change, Hasina said her government had formed the climate change trust fund with own funding of $400 million without relying on others alongside framing some 134 action plans to prudently tackle the impacts of climate change.