Upstream countries don't want to sit with downstream countries: Speakers

Countries situated upstream in transboundary river systems are often reluctant to engage in discussions with their downstream neighbours regarding water sharing, said speakers at the 9th International Water Conference in Dhaka today (25 January).

The two-day conference, which took place at a hotel in Dhaka under the theme 'Water, River, and Climate Change: Creating Space for Resilience,' came to an end on Thursday, according to an ActionAid press release.

"In South Asia, major upstream countries do not want to sit with downstream countries. Most agreements are reactive agreements made to accommodate unilateral projects by upstream or powerful countries. They usually go bilateral to resolve any water and river-related disputes. If we look into the South Asian Water sharing treaties, we see that most of them are periodic treaties for a selective timeframe, which we do not see in other parts of the world," said Dhaka University Professor of Law Dr. Asif Nazrul.

While moderating a session titled 'Rights of the River: Integrated Basin Management' at the conference, he said, "All the basin states must find a fair way of water allocation to avoid disagreement. Also, there must be a regional framework for comprehensive data sharing regarding water resource management."

Nayoka Martinez-Bäckström, First Secretary and Deputy Head of Development Cooperation, Embassy of Sweden stressed on the inclusion of young people in water relater discussion and climate justice movement. She also emphasised on youth-led enterprise for sustainable water management."

Dr Ainun Nishat, Professor Emeritus, Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research (C3ER), BRAC University, said, "In climate and water negotiations, it's imperative to understand the politics at play. Climate change significantly impacts food security, and water is essential for ensuring this security. By understanding climate politics well, we can strongly stand for climate justice." 

Dr. Khairul Islam, Regional Director, WaterAid, South Asia Region, in the River, Resilience, and People session said, "Most of the civilisations started on the banks of the rivers. What we are seeing now is that the condition of the river is deteriorating. The majority of climate change is human made or caused by the people. Water is the lifeline of the people, and we are polluting it. If we become conscious and more responsible, we can revert and improve this situation. We should find ways to save water bodies."

Remarks by Special Guest, M. Riaz Hamidullah, Ambassador, Embassy of Bangladesh in the Netherlands said, "If we are to look for a solution driven approach, we have to understand Delta plan is not a guideline. A plan has to marry with the future of the economy and urbanization of the country. I do not see the knowledge institutions to inform projects."

"We need to reach out to the public and private spheres, what are the kinds of water scenarios we are to encounter in the future. We are driven by the dominant narrative that Bangladesh is a water abundant country. We need to move away from this narrative' the ambassador further added.

This year the conference emphasised on ten thematic areas- Understanding the nexus of climate change and rights of rivers; Climate change and rivers: Risk and vulnerabilities; Development, inclusion and resilience; Water, river, and urban resilience: Infrastructure and ecosystem; River, resilience, and people; Rights of the river: Integrated basin management; Multilateral water cooperation and governance; Living museums and community resilience; Water and river: Engagement young people; Sustainable future: Crafting technical solution.

Razmi Farook, Director of Asia and Humanitarian, ActionAid International; Abdul Alim, Head of Humanitarian Programme, ActionAid Bangladesh, Mir Mohammad Ali, Assistant Professor & Chairman Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University; Anu Dahal, Program Officer Nepal Water Conservation Foundation; Dr Sufia Khanom, Senior Research Fellow, Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS), Sudeep Chakravarti , Associate Professor of South Asian Studies & Director, Center for South Asian Studies (C-SAS), University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh; Edo Bricchetti, Ecomuseum Martesana, Italy; Commodore Mohammed Nurul Absar,  (Retd) Chairman, Coxs' Bazar Development Authority also spoke in the last day of the conference.