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World
Water Day 2006: Water and Culture
National
Water Policy : Bangladesh
l.
Introduction
Water
is central to the way of life in Bangladesh and the single most important
resource for the well-being of its people. It sustains an extremely
fragile natural environment and provides livelihood for millions of
people. Unfortunately, it is not infinite and cannot be treated as a
perpetual free gift of nature to be used in any manner chosen. The unitary
nature of water makes its use in one form affect the use in another.
Its availability for sustenance of life, in both quantitative and qualitative
terms, is a basic human right and mandates its appropriate use without
jeopardising the interest of any member of the society.
Availability of water, including rainwater, surface water, and groundwater,
in usable forms calls for its sustainable development, a responsibility
that has to be shared collectively and individually by members of the
society. Private users of water are the principal agents for its development
and management and private investments need to be actively promoted
in the water sector, ensuring equal opportunity to all. However, development
of water resources often requires large and lumpy capital investment
and generates economies of scale, which justifies public sector involvement.
Government's role also becomes important because of the necessity of
protecting the needs of the society at large and addressing important
environmental as well as social issues such as poverty alleviation and
human resources development.
Water
resources management in Bangladesh faces immense challenge for resolving
many diverse problems and issues. The most critical of these are alternating
flood and water scarcity during the wet and the dry seasons, ever-expanding
water needs of a growing economy and population, and massive river sedimentation
and bank erosion. There is a growing need for providing total water
quality management (checking salinity, deterioration of surface water
and groundwater quality, and water pollution), and maintenance of the
eco-system. There is also an urgency to satisfy multi-sector water needs
with limited resources, promote efficient and socially responsible water
use, delineate public and private responsibilities, and decentralise
state activities where appropriate. All of these have to be accomplished
under severe constraints, such as the lack of control over rivers originating
outside the country's borders, the difficulty of managing the deltaic
plain, and the virtual absence of unsettled land for building water
structures.
The
water policy provided here under, lays down the broad principles of
development of water resources and their rational utilisation under
these constraints. It will help guide both public and private actions
in the future for ensuring optimal development and management of water
that benefits both individuals and the society at large.
2. Declaration of National Water Policy
As
water is essential for human survival, socio-economic development of
the country and preservation of its natural environment, it is the policy
of the Government of Bangladesh that all necessary means and measures
will be taken to manage the water resources of the country in a comprehensive,
integrated and equitable manner. The policies enunciated herein are
designed to ensure continued progress towards fulfilling the national
goals of economic development, poverty alleviation, food security, public
health and safety, decent standard of living for the people and protection
of the natural environment.
The
National Water Policy will be reviewed periodically and revised as necessary.
It will guide management of the country's water resources by all the
concerned ministries, agencies, departments, and local bodies that are
assigned responsibilities for the development, maintenance, and delivery
of water and water related services as well as the private users and
developers of water resources.
3. Objectives of National Water Policy
The
water policy of the government aims to provide direction to all agencies
working with the water sector, and institutions that relate to the water
sector in one form or another, for achievement of specified objectives.
These objectives are broadly:
a.
To address issues related to the harnessing and development of all forms
of surface water and ground water and management of these resources
in an efficient and equitable manner
b.
To ensure the availability of water to all elements of the society including
the poor and the underprivileged, and to take into account the particular
needs of women and children
c.
To accelerate the development of sustainable public and private water
delivery systems with appropriate legal and financial measures and incentives,
including delineation of water rights and water pricing
d.
To bring institutional changes that will help decentralise the management
of water resources and enhance the role of women in water management
e.
To develop a legal and regulatory environment that will help the process
of decentralisation, sound environmental management, and improve the
investment climate for the private sector in water development and management
f.
To develop a state of knowledge and capability that will enable the
country to design future water resources management plans by itself
with economic efficiency, gender equity, social justice and environmental
awareness to facilitate achievement of the water management objectives
through broad public participation
4. National Water Policy
The
policies set forth herein arc considered essential for addressing the
objectives of improved water resources management and protection of
the environment. Every public agency, every community, village and each
individual has an important role to play in ensuring that the water
and associated natural resources of Bangladesh are used judiciously
so that the future generations can be assured of at least the same,
if not better, availability and quality of those resources.
4.1 River Basin Management
Basin planning provides
the most rational basis of development of water resources under the
influence of one or more major rivers. International river basins,
however, such as the Ganges basin, the Brahmaputra basin, and the
Meghna basin present special problems. Due to its location as the
lower-most riparian, Bangladesh has no control over the rivers entering
through its borders. The adverse effects of this are the floods and
water scarcity, which occur frequently. Although the 1996 Treaty on
Sharing of the Ganges Waters with India has brought some relief to
the drought prone area of the southwest, the water shortage problem
during the dry season is likely to aggravate in the Ganges and other
basins with rising demands of the increasing population. It is, however,
encouraging to note that the relevant provision of the treaty will
provide the basis in the future for discussion on sharing of waters
of the common rivers.
It may take considerable effort and time for Bangladesh to work out
joint plans for different river basins with other co-riparian countries.
As a long-term measure, therefore, it is the policy of the government
to undertake essential steps for realising basin-wide planning for
development of the resources of the rivers entering its borders.
The Government will endeavour to enter into agreements with co-riparian
countries for sharing the waters of international rivers, data exchange,
resource planning and long-term management of water resources under
normal and emergency conditions of flood, drought and water pollution.
While moving towards the attainment of basin-wide plans in the long
run, it will also be necessary for Bangladesh to concentrate on the
development of individual hydrological areas to meet short and intermediate
term requirements.
The policy of the Government
of Bangladesh, in the short and intermediate term, for fostering international
cooperation in water management is, in italics letter, to:
-
a. Work with co-riparian
countries to establish a system for exchange of information and
data on relevant aspects of hydrology, morphology, water pollution,
ecology, changing watershed characteristics, cyclone, drought, flood
warning, etc., and to help each other understand the current and
emerging problems in the management of the shared water sources.
-
b. Work with co-riparian
countries for a joint assessment of all the international river
through their territories for better understanding of the overall
basins' potentials.
-
c. Work jointly with co-riparian countries to harness, develop,
and share the water resources of the international rivers to mitigate
floods and augment flows of water during the dry season.
-
d. Make concerted efforts, in
collaboration with co-riparian countries, for management of the
catchment areas with the help of afforestation and erosion control
for watershed preservation and reduction of land degradation.
-
e. Work jointly
with co-riparian countries for the prevention of chemical and biological
pollution of the rivers flowing through these countries, by managing
the discharge of industrial, agricultural and domestic pollutants
generated by human action.
-
f. Seek international
and regional cooperation for education, training, and research in
water management.
4.2 Planning and
Management of Water Resources
The Government recognizes that
the process of planning and managing water resources requires a comprehensive
and integrated analysis of relevant hydrological, topographical, social,
political, economic, environmental and institutional factors across
all related water-using sectors.
The intricate nature
of drainage systems within the country requires that activity for
planning and management of the nation's river systems is undertaken
within the context of hydrological regions. The principal river systems
create natural boundaries for these regions. The hilly areas of the
east form another hydrological region.
Henceforth, to address these issues the policy of the Government will
be as follows:
a. The Water Resources
Planning Organisation (WARPO) will
delineate the hydrological regions of the country, based on appropriate
natural features. for planning the development of their water resources.
b. WARPO will prepare, and periodically
update, a National Water Management Plan (NWMP) addressing the overall
resource management issues in each region and the whole of Bangladesh,
and providing directions for the short, intermediate, and long runs.
The plan will be executed by different agencies as determined by the
Government from time to time
c. The NWMP and all other related plans will be prepared in comprehensive
and integrated manner, with regard for the interests of all water-related
sectors. The planning methodology will ensure co-operation across
sectors and people's participation in the process.
Within the macro framework
of the NWMP:
d. Sector agencies of the Government and local bodies will prepare
and implement sub regional and local water management plans in conformance
with the NWMP and approved Government project appraisal guidelines.
The Executive Committee of the National Water Resources Council (ECNWRC)
will resolve any interagency conflict in this regard.
e. The Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) will implement all
major surface water development projects and other FCDI projects with
command area above 1000 hectares. The Local Government will implement
FCDI projects having a command area of 1000 hectares or less after
identification and appraisal through an interagency Project Appraisal
Committee. Any interagency dispute will be resolved by means prescribed
by the Government.
f. The participation
of all project affected persons, individually and collectively, will
be ensured in the planning, design, implementation, and operation
and maintenance (O&M) of publicly funded surface water resources
development plans and projects. Local Governments (Parishads) will
be the principal agencies for coordinating these efforts. Community
level self-help groups (private) and Non-Government Organisations
will also be relied on to assist in the participatory process.
The Government will further:
g. Frame rules, procedures, and guidelines for combining water-use
and land-use planning
h. Frame, and periodically revise; the rules, procedures and guidelines
on all aspects of water management
i. Make social
and environmental assessments mandatory in all plan development
Through its responsible
agencies, the Government will:
j. Undertake comprehensive
development and management of the main system of barrages and other
structural and non-structural measures
k. Develop water resources of the major rivers for multipurpose for
fisheries, navigation, forestry, and aquatic wildlife
l. De-silt watercourses to maintain navigation channels and proper
drainage
m. Delineate water-stress areas based on land characteristics and
water availability from all
sources for managing dry season demand
n. Take steps to protect the water quality and ensure efficiency of
its use
o. Develop early warning and flood-proofing systems to manage natural
disasters like flood and drought
p. Designate flood risk zones and take appropriate measures to provide
desired levels of protection for life, property, vital infrastructure,
agriculture and wetlands. In this regard the following principles
will guide future action:
i. Regions of economic importance
such as metropolitan areas, sea and air ports, and export processing
zones will be fully protected against floods as a matter of first
priority. Other critical areas such as district and upazila towns,
important commercial centers, and places of historical importance
will be gradually provided reasonable degree of protection against
flood. In the remaining rural areas, with the exception of those already
covered by existing flood control infrastructure, the people will
be motivated to develop different flood proofing measures such as
raising of platform for homesteads, market places, educational institutions,
community centers, etc., and adjusting the cropping pattern to suit
the flood regime.
ii. In future all national and regional highways, railway tracks,
and public buildings and facilities will be constructed above the
highest ever-recorded level of flood in the country. This principle
will also apply in cases of reconstruction of existing structures
of this nature.
iii. All plans for roads and railways embankment will adequately provide
for unimpeded drainage.
q. Undertake survey and investigation of the problem of riverbank
erosion and develop and implement master plans for river training
and erosion control works for preservation of scarce land and prevention
of landlessness and pauperisation.
r. Plan and implement schemes for reclamation of land from the sea
and rivers.
4.3 Water Rights
and Allocation
The ownership of water does not
vest in an individual but in the state. The Government reserves the
right to allocate water to ensure equitable distribution, efficient
development and use, and to address poverty. The Government can redirect
its use during periods of droughts, floods, cyclones, and other natural
and man-made disasters, such as contamination of groundwater aquifers
that threaten public health and the ecological integrity. Allocation
rules will be the formal mechanism for deciding who gets water, for
what purpose(s), how much, at what time, for how long, and under what
circumstances water use may be curtailed. Rules for water allocation
will be developed for in-stream needs (ecological, water quality,
salinity control, fisheries and navigation) during low-flow periods;
for off-stream withdrawal (irrigation, municipal and industrial, power),
and for groundwater recharge and abstraction. Allocation for non-consumptive
use (e.g. navigation would imply ensuring minimum levels in water
bodies used for that purpose.
Henceforth, the policy
of the Government to regulate the use of water, where required, will
be exercised in the following manner:
a. The Government will
exercise its water allocation power in identified scarcity zones on
the basis of specified priorities.
b. In general, the priority for allocating water during critical periods
in the water shortage zones will be in the following order: domestic
and municipal uses, non-consumptive uses (e.g. navigation, fisheries
and wild-life), sustenance of the river regime, and other consumptive
and non-consumptive uses such as irrigation, industry, environment,
salinity management, and recreation. The above order of priority could
however be changed ~n specific socio-economic criteria of an area
by local bodies through local consensus.
c. For sustaining rechargeable
shallow groundwater aquifers, the Government will regulate the extraction
of water in the identified scarcity zones with full public knowledge.
d. Specific drought monitoring and contingency plans will be prepared
for each region experiencing recurrent seasonal shortages of water
with due consideration to conjunctive use of rainwater, surface water
and ground water and alternative ways of satisfying demand. The contingency
plan will include action to limit the use of groundwater according
to priorities. Appropriate provisions of law should be made
to protect specific users' rights in these extreme cases.
e. The Government
may empower the local government or any local body it deems fit, to
exercise its right to allocate water in scarcity zones during periods
of severe drought, and it will monitor the water regime and enforcement
of the regulations through specifically designed mechanisms.
f. The Government may
confer water rights on private and community bodies to provide secure,
defensible and enforceable ownership/usufructuary rights to ground water
and surface water for attracting private investment.
g. In specifying surface
water rights, the minimum the conveyance channel will be ensured.
4.4 Public and Private
Involvement
Water resources management requires
involvement of the public and private sectors, communities and individuals
that benefit from the delivery of water-related services. The ultimate
success and effectiveness of public water resources management projects
depends on the people's acceptance and ownership of each project.
It is important to delineate the roles and responsibilities of every
one involved in water resources management. The principle that community
resources should be managed by the community concerned, along with
local government institutions unless a greater national interest prevails,
should guide water resource management. It is recognised that women
have a particular stake in water management because they are the principal
providers and carriers of water, main caretaker of the family's health,
and participants in many stages of pre and post harvest activities.
The policies of the Government regarding the respective roles of the
public and private sectors are:
a. Government's investments
in water programme will be directed towards creation of public goods
or for addressing specific problems of market failure and protecting
particular community interests.
b. Policies and programmes of any public agency involving water
resources will be coordinated with the policies and programmes of
all other public and private bodies to build synergy and avoid conflict.
c. Public water institutions will, to the extent feasible, use private
providers of specific water resources services in carrying out their
mandates, giving preference to beneficiary groups and organisations.
d. The management of public water schemes, barring municipal schemes,
with command area up to 5000 ha will be gradually made over to local
and community organisations and their O&M will be financed through
local resources.
e. Public water schemes,
barring municipal schemes, with municipal area of over 5000
ha will be gradually placed under private management, through leasing,
concession, or management contract under open competitive bidding
procedures, or jointly managed by the project implementing agency
along with local government and community organisations.
f. Ownership of FCD
and FCDI projects with command area of 1000 ha or less will gradually
be transferred to the local governments, beginning with the ones
that are Heinz satisfactorily managed and operated by the beneficiary/
community organisations.
g. Appropriate public
and private institutions will provide information and training to
the local community organisations for managing water resources efficiently.
h. Enabling environment
will be created for women to play a key role in local community
organisations for management of water resources.
i. Government, where
appropriate, will restructure its present institutions and design
all future institutions for efficient implementation of the above
policies.
4.5 Public Water
Investment
The Government considers that
a consistent and uniformly applied analytical framework for project
appraisal is essential to equitable, efficient and effective water
resources management. A true multi-objective analysis of the water
needs of an area, and the formulation of options for investment
and management must consider the interrelations among different
sources of water, different management schemes and the interaction
between needs of different users and purposes. Investments in infrastructure
may displace people and disturb ecosystems and, as such, broader
water resources planning assessments and specific project appraisals
must consider these cross-sectoral implications.
The policy of the
Government in this regard is to ensure that:
a. Water resource
projects, as far as possible, are developed as multipurpose projects
with an integrated multi-disciplinary approach from planning to
implementation to monitoring.
b.Planning and feasibility studies of all projects will follow the
Guidelines for Project Assessment (GPA), the Guidelines for People's
Participation (GPP), the Guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA), and all other instructions that may be issued from time to
time by the Government.
c. All relevant analytical procedures and evaluation methods, such
as mathematical modeling, physical modeling, cost-benefit analysis,
risk analysis and multi-criteria decision making are routinely used
as part of water resources planning and project appraisal.
d. Public water projects arc designed with specific provision for
future disinvestmen, if and when feasible.
e. Interests
of low-income water users, and the women, are adequately protected
in water resource management.
f. There is continuous
updating and archiving of water resource data and basic information
by relevant public sector agencies.
4.6 Water Supply and Sanitation
The rural areas of Bangladesh
suffer from lack of quality drinking water. Surface water supplies
are generally polluted and groundwater, which till now had been
the best source of safe drinking water, is contaminated with arsenic
in many parts of the country. Heavy withdrawals of groundwater for
irrigation have also lowered the water table in many areas below
the effective reach of hand tubewells. Seepage of agro chemicals
into shallow aquifers may also pollute water for human and animal
consumption. Salinity intrusions from seawater deep into the land
in the southwest are rendering groundwater unfit for consumption.
Cities and urban areas too are facing the problem of receding water
table due to heavy groundwater extraction. These water supply and
sanitation problems have obvious implications for public health.
Diarrheal diseases, arising largely from drinking unsafe water,
are a leading cause of death in the rural areas. Lack of proper
sanitation and drainage facilities, inadequate water supply, and
insufficient health and hygiene education are the primary causes
of diseases in the urban areas. Lack of access to safe water supply
in the rural areas is a special hardship for women who have to carry
water over long distances, with significant impact on their health
and productivity.
To address these problems, it is the policy of the Government to:
a. Facilitate availability of safe and affordable drinking water
supplies through various means, including rainwater harvesting and
conservation.
b. Preserve natural depressions and water bodies underground aquifers
and rainwater management.
c. Mandate relevant public water
and sewerage institutions to provide necessary drainage and sanitation,
including treatment of domestic wastewater and sewage and replacement
of open drains and construction of sewers, in the interest of public
health.
d. Empower, and hold responsible, municipalities and urban water
and sewerage institution regulate the use of water for preventing
wastage and pollution by human action.
e.Mandate local governments
to create awareness among the people in check pollution and wastage.
4.7 Water and Agriculture
Support of private development
of groundwater irrigation for promoting agricultural growth will
continue, alongside surface water development where feasible. But
there will be a renewed focus towards increasing efficiency of water
use in irrigation through various measures including drainage-water
recycling, rotational irrigation, adoption of water conserving crop
technology where feasible, and conjunctive use of groundwater and
surface water.
Water allocations in irrigation systems have to be done with equity
and social justice. At the same time, serious consideration should
be given to non-point pollution of water systems by fertilizer and
pesticides that are either leached to the groundwater or washed
off the fields to rivers and lakes.
For this purpose, the policy of the Government is to:
a. Encourage and promote continued development of minor irrigation,
where feasible, with affecting drinking water supplies
b. Encourage future groundwater development for irrigation by both
the public and the private sectors, subject to regulations
that may be prescribed by Government from time to time.
c. Improve efficiency of resource utilisation through conjunctive
use of all forms of surface water and groundwater for irrigation
and urban water supply.
d. Strengthen crop diversification programmes for efficient water
utilisation.
e. Strengthen the
regulatory system for agricultural chemicals that pollute ground
and surface water, and develop control mechanism for reducing non-point
pollution from agro chemicals.
f. Strengthen appropriate
monitoring organisations for tracking groundwater recharge, surface
and groundwater use, and changes in surface and groundwater quality.
Excessive water salinity
in the southwest region is a major deterrent to industrial growth.
Also, pollution of both surface and groundwater around various industrial
centers of the country by untreated effluent discharge into water
bodies is a critical water management issue. The policy of the Government
in this regard is that:
a. Zoning regulations will be established for location of new industries
in consideration of fresh and safe water availability and effluent
discharge possibilities.
b. Effluent disposal will be monitored by relevant Government agencies
to prevent water pollution.
c.Standards of effluent disposal into common watercourses will be
set by WARPO in consultation with DOE.
d.Industrial polluters
will be required under law to pay for the cleanup of water- body
polluted by them.
4.9 Water and
Fisheries and Wildlife
Fisheries and wildlife are integral
aspects of economic development in Bangladesh and strongly linked
to advancement of target groups, poverty alleviation, nutrition,
and employment generation. Availability of water for fisheries is
thus important from the point of view of sustenance as well as commercial
ventures. It is, therefore, the policy of the Government that:
a. Fisheries and wildlife
will receive due emphasis in water resource planning in areas where
their social impact is high.
b. Measures will be taken to minimise disruption to the natural
aquatic and water channels.
c. Drainage schemes, to the extent possible, will avoid state-owned
swamps and marshes that have primary value for waterfowl or
other wildlife.
d. Water bodies like baors, haors, beels, roadside burrow pits,
etc. will, as far as possible, be reserved for fish production and
development. Perennial links of the water with the rivers will also
be properly maintained.
e. Water development
plans will not interrupt fish movement and will make adequate provisions
in control structures for allowing fish migration and breeding.
f. Brackish aqua culture
will be confined to specific zones designated by the Government
for this purpose.
4.10 Water and
Navigation
Inland navigation is of substantial
economic importance to Bangladesh because its numerous watercourses
provide the cheapest means of transportation. Siltation, however,
has disrupted river communications in many water channels. De-siltation
of these channels is required not only to restore their navigational
capability but also to assist surface drainage. The policies of
the Government in this regard are:
a. Water development projects should cause minimal disruption to
navigation and, where necessary, adequate mitigation measures should
be taken.
b. Minimum stream-flows in designated rivers and streams will be
maintained for navigation after diversion of water for drinking
and municipal purposes.
c. Dredging and other suitable measures would be undertaken, wherever
needed to maintain navigational capability of designated waterways.
4.11 Water for
Hydropower and Recreation
Bangladesh has limited potential
for hydropower due to its flat terrain and the absence of suitable
reservoir area. However, it may be possible to build mini hydropower
plants at small dam and barrage sites. A major environmental concern
of hydropower development is the impediment to a river's natural
flow imposed by structures built on it. A hydropower facility may
be restrictive for, fish movement also.
Use of water for recreational purposes is useful for developing
tourism facilities. Introducing these facilities at the sites of
reservoirs, lakes, dighis (big ponds), sea resorts, etc. would help
the tourism industry of the country. The policy of the Government
is therefore that:
a. Mini-hydropower development schemes may be undertaken provided
they are eco viable and environmentally safe.
b. Recreational activities at or around water bodies will be allowed
provided it is not damaging to the environment.
4.12 Water for
the Environment
Protection and preservation
of the natural environment is essential for sustainable development.
Given that most of the country's environmental resources are linked
to water resources, it is vital that the continued development and
management of the nation's water resources should include the protection,
restoration, and preservation of the environment and its bio-diversity
including wetlands, mangrove and other national forests, endangered
species, and the water quality. Accordingly, water resource management
actions will take care to avoid or minimise environmental damages.
Water quantity and water quality issues are uniquely linked. Poor
water quality affects the availability of fresh water for different
uses. Contamination of surface water bodies and groundwater aquifers
by agricultural pollutants, industrial discharge, domestic pollution,
and non-point source urban runoff exacerbate water quality problems
and endanger both natural ecosystem integrity and public health.
Other environmental problems include: excessive soil erosion and
sedimentation, water logging and salinisation of agricultural land,
groundwater depletion, watershed degradation and deforestation;
reduction of biodiversity, wetland loss. saltwater intrusion, and
coastal zone habitat loss.
Henceforth, all agencies and departments entrusted with water resource
management responsibilities (regulation, planning, construction,
operation, and maintenance) will have to enhance environmental amenities
and ensure that environmental resources are protected and restored
in executing their tasks. Environmental needs and objectives will
be treated equally with the resources management needs. It is, therefore,
the policy of the government at all water management agencies and
related natural resources departments will:
a. Give full consideration to
environmental protection, restoration and enhancement measures consistent
with the National Environmental Management Action Plan (NRMAPI and
the National Water Management Plan (NWMP).
b. Adhere to a formal
environmental impact assessment (EIA) process, as set out in EIA
guidelines and manuals for water sector projects, in each water
resources development project or rehabilitation programme of size
and scope specified by the Government from time to time.
c. Ensure adequate upland flow in water channels to preserve ecosystem
threatened by intrusion of salinity from the sea.
d. Protect against degradation and resuscitate natural water-bodies
such as lakes, ponds, beels. khals, tanks, etc. affected by man-made
interventions or other causes.
e. Completely
stop the filling of publicly-owned water bodies and depressions
in urban areas for preservation of the natural aquifers and environment.
f. Take necessary
steps to remove all existing unauthorised encroachments on rivers
and watercourses and to check further encroachments that cause obstructions
to water flows and create environmental hazards.
g. Stop unplanned
construction on riverbanks and indiscriminate clearance of vegetation
on newly accreted land.
h. Encourage massive
afforestation and tree coverage specifically in areas with declining
water table.
i. Enforce the "polluter
pay" principle in the development of regulatory guide lines
for all regulatory actions designed to protect public health and
the environment.
j. Provide education
and information to the industrial and farming communities on self-administered
pollution control mechanisms and their individual and collective
responsibilities for maintaining clean water sources.
4.13 Water for Preservation
of Haors, Baors, and Beels
Water bodies like
haors, baors, and beels are precious assets of Bangladesh with unique
regional characteristics. Apart from their scenic beauty, they have
great economical and environmental value. Even during extremely
dry seasons, when the smaller beels turn into quagmires, the haors
and the baors retain considerable amount of water. These water bodies
account for a large share of the natural capture fisheries and provide
a habitat for a wide variety of aquatic vegetation and birds. They
also provide sanctuary to migratory birds during winter. The haors
and the beels usually connect to some adjoining river through khals.
In the past, many
beels have been drained through engineering interventions and turned
into cropland for immediate gains. The adverse effects of such interventions
have been deleterious to the environment. They have destroyed the
fish and aquatic vegetables that thrive in these wetlands and are
important in the diet of the rural poor. They have also blocked
the flow of wastes, discharged from the flood plains and domestic
sources, which naturally move out of the beels through the khals
into the river's drainage system. Only submersible dikes have provided
tangible benefits in certain haor areas by enabling cultivation
of high yielding variety boro rice, The Government believes that
in order to assist the natural processes of groundwater recharge,
maintenance of .aquatic life and ecological balance, disposal of
wastes through the dynamic river system, and for turning the huge
water bodies into recreational areas, their planned development
is essential.
It is, therefore, the policy of the Government that:
a. Natural water bodies such
as beels, haors, and baors will be preserved for maintaining the
aquatic environment and facilitating drainage.
b.Only those water related projects will be taken up for execution
that will not interface with the aquatic characteristics of those
water bodies.
c. Haors that naturally dry up during the winter will be developed
for dry season agriculture
d. Take up integrated projects in those water bodies for increasing
fish production.
e. Natural water bodies
will be developed, where possible, for recreational use in support
of tourism.
4.14 Economic and Financial
Management
Changes are required in the
system of prices and other economic incentives affecting water demand
and supply in Bangladesh. Unless the users pay a price for water,
there will be a tendency to misuse and deplete it under scarcity
conditions. Desirable practices such as conjunctive use, water-saving
agricultural and industrial technologies, water harvesting, water
transfers, and water recycling, both within and between sectors,
will emerge only when users perceive the scarcity value of water.
A system of cost recovery,
pricing, and economic incentives/disincentives is necessary to balance
the supply and demand of water. Cost recovery of services such as
flood control, drainage, irrigation, and wastewater treatment has
not been considered adequately. Failure to recover O&M cost
leads to decline of service quality and deterioration of the system.
This, in turn, makes the consumers less willing to pay for the deteriorating
services. An important principle, for the long-term, in this regard
is that public service agencies should be converted into financially
autonomous entities, with effective authority to charge and collect
fees. The participation of users in managing and maintaining water
facilities and operations is an important element of financial accountabilitv.
It is, therefore, the policy of the Government that:
a .Water will be considered
an economic resource and priced to convey its scarcity value to
all users and provide motivation for its conservation. For the foreseeable
future, however, cost recovery for flood control and drainage (FCD)
projects is not envisaged in this policy. In case of flood control,
drainage, and irrigation (FCDI) projects water rates will be charged
for O&M as per Government rules.
b. Relevant public water supply agencies will be gradually
given authority to charge for their services.
c. Recovery of O&M cost will, as far as possible, be made through
private collection means such as leasing and other financial options.
Beneficiaries and other target groups will be given preference for
such contracts.
d. The pricing structure will match the goals and needs of the water
provider and the population served. Water rates will be lower for
basic consumption, increasing with commercial and industrial use.
The rates for surface and groundwater will reflect, to the extent
possible, their actual cost of delivery.
e. Water charges realised
from beneficiaries for O&M in a project for the provision of
services within that project.
f.Effective beneficiary
participation and commitment to pay for O&M will be realised
at the project identification and planning stages by respective
public agencies.
g. Appropriate financial
incentives will be introduced for water re-use and conservation,
responsible use of groundwater, and for preventing over exploitation
and Pollution.
4.15 Research and Information
Management
Informing policy makers of the
choice of appropriate technology to meet policy goals and make them
aware of their significance and impact is an essential requirement
of a dynamic water management policy. It is important to reach a common
understanding between specialists, planners, politicians and the general
public about the changing environment and the optimal ways and means
of achieving the national water management goals. As management decisions
become increasingly complex and information sensitive, the demand
for supporting research and information management increases.
It is the policy of the Government in this regard to:
a. Develop a central
database and management information system (MIS) consolidating information
from various data collection and research agencies on the existing
hydrological systems, supply and use of national water resources,
water quality, and the eco-system.
b. Restructure and strengthen,
where appropriate, water resource and agriculture research institutions
to undertake systematic research and analysis of water and land
management issues and problems arising both nationally and internationally.
c. Investigate thoroughly important flood control and management
issues, such as of coastal polders, for guiding future policy on
structural interventions.
d. Investigate important
sociological issues, such as the phenomenon of interference with
water structures (e.g. public cuts), and the motives and conflicting
interests behind them, to assist the process of building public
support and acceptance of government water management programmes.
e. Strengthen and promote the public and private research organisations
and universities to:
i. Develop and disseminate appropriate ground water and surface
water.
ii. Develop and promote water management techniques to prevent wastage
and generate efficiency of water and energy use.
iii. Produce skilled professionals
for water management.
4.16 Stake holder Participation
Decisions regarding water resources
management can affect nearly every sector of the economy and the
public as a whole, and stake holder participation should be established
in a form that elicits direct input from people at all levels of
engagement. Stake holder involvement should be an integral part
of water resources management, at all stages of the project cycle.
Towards that objective there should be a complete reorientation
of the institutions for increasing the role of stake holders and
the civil society in decision making and implementation of water
projects. The Government has to be at the core of the effort to
help build the local institutions and to impart a precise awareness
of the issues and an unambiguous understanding of their role in
water management. Similarly, Government must lead the effort to
ensure greater participation of women in this endeavour.
In order to ensure
that all stake holders actively and fruitfully participate in watch
management decision making at all stages, it is the policy of the
Government that:
a. The "Guidelines
for People's Participation (GPP) in Water Development Projects"
be adhered to as part of project planning by all institutions and
agencies involved in public sector management of water resources.
b. Guidelines for
formation of water user groups (WUG) and similar community organisations
will be formulated.
c. Generally 25 percent of the
earthwork of any public water project will be offered to specific
target groups or beneficiaries.
d. All opportunities arc explored and efforts undertaken to ensure
that the landless and other disadvantaged group are directly involved
in participatory management of local water resources.
e. New projects
proposed by a community or local institution will be considered
for implementation on a priority basis only when the beneficiaries
have mobilised a certain percentage of the total cost as their contribution
to the project.
The governance and
management of the national water resources require a great deal
of coordination of existing institutions and in some cases reform
and creation of new community based institutions. Water resources
management extends across many water using sectors as well as political
jurisdictions and geographically and hydrologically diverse areas.
Properly functioning institutions are essential for effective implementation
and administration of the country is water and related environmental
resource management policies and directives.
The Government will
restructure and strengthen, where appropriate, the existing institutions
to ensure that the agenda for reform and the action plan is implemented
efficiently. Two important principles will govern institutional
restructuring. Firstly, there should be separation of policy, planning,
and regulatory functions from implementation and operational functions
at each level of government. Secondly, each institution must he
held accountable for financial and operational performance.
It is the policy of the Government that:
a. The Government will formulate a framework for institutional reform,
to guide all water sector related activities. It will periodically
review the mandates of all water sector institutions and redefine
their respective roles, as necessary, to ensure efficient and effective
institutions commensurate with changing needs and priorities.
b. The National Water Resources Council (NWRC) will coordinate all
water resources management activities in the country, and particularly:
i. Formulate policy on different aspects of water resource management.
ii. Provide directions for optimal development and utilisation of
the national water resources.
iii. Oversee the preparation and implementation of the National
Water Management Plan.
iv. Provide directions on the development of efficient institutions
for managing the water resources.
v. Provide policy
policy directives for appropriate coordination among different water
sector agencies.
vi. Look after any
other water resource management matter that may require us attention.
c. The Executive Committee of the National Water Resources
Council (ECNWRC) will have the following responsibilities:
i. It will provide directives on all matters relating to the planning,
management, and coordination of water resources across all sectors,
as may be required by the NWRC.
ii. It will guide water management institutions
at the national, regional, and local levels in the formulation and
implementation of policies and plans for improved water management
and investment.
iii. It will apprise and advise the National Water Resource Council
periodically on matters of water resource management.
d required from time to time, by the NWRC.
e. WARPO will be the exclusive government institution for macro
level water resource planning. It will also serve as the Executive
Secretariat of the ECNWRC with the following principal responsibilities:
i. Providing administrative, technical, and legal support to the
ECNWRC.
ii. Advising the ECNWRC on policy, planning, and regulatory matters
of water resources and related land and environmental management.
iii. Preparing and periodically updating the National
Water Management Plan for approval of the NWRC.
iv. Setting up and updating the National Water Resource Database
(NWRD) and Information Management System.
v. Acting as a "clearing house" for all water sector projects
identified different agencies and reporting to the ECNWRC on their
conformity to the NWMP.
vi. Undertaking any special study, as may be required by the ECNWRC,
for fulfilling the objectives and programmes envisaged in the National
Water Policy and the Bangladesh Water and Flood Management Strategy.
vii. Performing any other function as may be assigned
to it from time to time by the Government.
e. The Government will lead the effort towards developing grass
root institutions, in conjunction with the civil society, for managing
water resources at community levels.
f. Public water projects wilt include a training component for transfer
of knowledge and technology to the users that will be monitored
by the executing agency at every stage of the project work.
Setting the appropriate legislative framework is
fundamental to effective implementation of the water policy. The
existing legislation related to any form of water management in
Bangladesh requires supplementing in a number of key areas. This
policy will be given effect through a National Water Code encoding
specific provisions of the water policy to facilitate its implementation.
The policy of the Government in this regard is:
a. To periodically review the provisions of the body of laws and
regulations that have an impact on water resource management and
to recommend changes and amendments in them for efficient coordination
of the work of different water-related sub sectors.
b. To enact a National Water Code revising and
consolidating the laws governing ownership development, appropriation,
utilisation, conservation, and protection of water resources.
Source: National
Water Policy
Published by Ministry
of Water Resources
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'Due
to its fundamental role in society's life, water has a strong cultural
dimension. Without understanding and considering the cultural aspects
of our water problems, no sustainable solution can be found.'
Session on Water and Cultural Diversity,
Statement to the Ministerial Conference, 3rd World Water Forum, 22
March 2003
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