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Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus seeks a fifty-year master plan from China to manage the river and water system in Bangladesh, crisscrossed by umpteen rivers, largely flowing down from upper riparian.
The visiting head of interim government made the request Friday when Li Guoying, water resources minister of China, met him at a state guesthouse in Beijing, said a spokesperson for the CA Office.
Professor Yunus praised Chinese water-and flood-management system, saying that the country has worked wonders in managing some of the intractable water issues.
"We face the same problem that you have. So, we'll be happy if you share your experiences", the Chief Adviser told the Chinese minister.
He mentions that Bangladesh is a delta country crisscrossed with hundreds of rivers. "Water gives us life, but sometimes it becomes an enemy. Now that the population has increased manifold, we have to remain careful what kind of damage it causes to the ecosystem," he said.
Calling China the master of water management, the Chief Adviser said
Bangladesh has a lot to learn from the country and urged China to share the vision of President Xi Jinping in water management with the country.
"We have come here to learn from you: how we can make water resources useful to people."
The Chief Adviser said that the increase of population and demand for development are grabbing lands by riversides.
"The same demand has increased in upper-riparian India," he said, adding that silting is also causing a problem creating land in the middle of rivers, sinking them sometimes, leading them to death.
The Chinese minister acknowledged that China and Bangladesh share a similar challenge in water management. He promised technical support and expertise to Bangladesh.
"To manage water is a key management issue for Bangladesh. China is facing similar challenges," he said, acknowledging that 85 per cent of Bangladesh's people live in flood-prone plains, which has made water management complicated for the country.
He said President Xi has put forward a master plan for China which the country has been using to overcome the challenges in water management.
"We need your help to design the plan for us," the chief adviser said.
He noted that Bangladesh's problem lies not just with one river but with the system.
He mentions the Teesta River System and cleaning the polluted water in rivers surrounding Dhaka.
The Chief Adviser is currently on a four-day visit to China, holding meetings with Chinese leaders and investors to boost mutual cooperation with the country.
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