Ministry of Water Resources

Transcription

1 113 Ministry of Water Resources 1.0 Introduction 1.1 The lives and livelihood of the people of riverine Bangladesh depend on water. Rivers have become one of the important determinants in shaping civilization, culture and lifestyle of this country. Bangladesh is a low-lying deltaic country formed by the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Meghna rivers. Business, transportations and livelihood of the people of the country depend on the rivers and other water resources. Thus water is one of the most important resources of Bangladesh. The Ministry of Water Resources is working towards fulfilling the requirement of water for the people and sustainable development through flood control, removal of water logging, protection against salinity intrusion, prevention of desertification, improvement of flood forecasting & warning, ensuring the equitable share of water of transboundary rivers through international co-operation, balanced and integrated management of water resources. 1.2 It is undenying that overall development of the country is largely depend on proper planning, development and management of water resources. From this viewpoint, the Government has enacted Bangladesh Water Development Act According to this Act, the Ministry is responsible for integrated water resources management.. Though, the water sector does not directly contribute to GDP, it directly contributes to the growth of agriculture sector through irrigation, removal of water logging, prevention of salinity etc. 2.0 Major Functions of the Ministry Formulate national policy for irrigation, flood control, mitigation of water logging, improvement of drainage systems, protection from river erosion and prevention of salinity and desertification and issues relating to technical assistance; Manage all issues relating to flood forecasting and warning, management of flood control and other activities related to causes of flood and appraisal of the damages owing to flood; Conduct basic and applied research on river basin and flood control infrastructures and carry out hydrological survey and data collection; International and regional cooperation in the areas of flood control and development of water resources ; Excavate and maintain canals and construct and maintain water control infrastructures under canal excavation programmes; Issues relating to land conservation and reclamation, drainage and water logging ; Issues relating to construction of water reservoirs, embankments and barrages; Capital dredging to enhance water reserve capacity of the rivers and protection from erosion; 3.0 Strategic objectives of the Ministry for Women s Advancement and Rights Ensure balanced, integrated and sustainable management of water resources: Marginal and poor farmers along with other beneficiaries will be able to increase

2 114 production following excavation of 205 km and re-excavation of 2275 km of irrigation canals. Excavation and reexcavation of canals will create employment opportunities and increase income of poor people. Construction of 119 irrigation structures, repair and rehabilitation of 198 irrigation structures, and dredging of 462 km of river are being undertaken. It is expected that all these projects to be implemented during medium-term 3 financial years will create employment opportunities for about crore man-days- a significant number of beneficiaries of the work will come from poor women. Flood control and township protection: The drainage system throughout the country will improve through construction of 1,175 km flood control embankment, repair and rehabilitation of 12,650 km flood control embankment, excavation and re-excavation of 3,089 km drainage canal and construction and repair of 3,440 flood control structures (sluice/regulator). All these activities will create employment opportunities for poor people. 1,028 km river bank protection works will provide employment opportunities to poor rural women. As a result, women s income, social security and dignity will increase. Development of Haor and wetlands and water management of Coastal region: Nijhum Island Cross Dam Project targeted for reclamation of land in Hatiya Upazila of Noakhali District and implementation of the programmes to protect wet lands and Sundarbans from salinity will create employment opportunities for poor people during the execution period. Re-claimed land from the sea and houses built on char and wet-land will be properly distributed to the landless poor. The About 20,000 families will be rehabilitated with 1.50 acre of reclaimed land per person under CDSP 4 project. The poor coastal people will be able to protect their life and properties through cyclone centres have been constructed in the coastal areas.. Participation of rural marginal farmers with in water management groups, implementation of the projects under water management development projects, involvement of management groups in planning and management will be ensured so that the groups can increase its management capacity and undertake the responsibility after one year of project r implementation. Responsibility for the collection of service charges of Teesta Irrigation project will be given to rural marginal farmers along with WMO. They will also be trained in water management. Poor people will get scope for employment in earth cutting work of BWDB as per the policy of Landless Contracting Society (LCS). Consequently, opportunities for income generation will be created. Water Basin Management: If the availability of water is increased by water basin management, poor farmers will be able to increase their productivity and alleviate poverty Women will be benefited from the activities.. This will make 4.0 Roles and Responsibilities of the Ministry for Women s Advancement and Rights 4.1 The main objective of the Ministry of Water Resources is to fulfill the people s requirements of water and to ensure sustainable development through integrated water management. The National Water Resource Policy 1999 was enacted for proper implementation and direction of different activities related to water sector. Until now different development activities were being carried out in light of the policy. Considering the vast scope of water resources and involvement of a number of Ministries and Departments in development activities, an integrated

3 115 act has been formulated by integrating different stakeholders. Bangladesh Water Act 2013 has ensured development, management, exploration, distribution, use, protection and conservation of water resources. Proper implementation of the Act will prevent misuse and wastage of water resources as well as ensure proper use of it. Women will certainly get its benefit. 4.2 Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change effects. Due to global environmental degradation, natural disasters like excess rainfall, drought, flood, tidal surge, cyclone, water logging etc. have increased over the recent years. Due to natural disasters, the life and livelihood of the coastal people has become endangered. For sustainable development of the socio-economic condition of the people living in 19 southern coastal districts, a comprehensive Coastal area Policy, 2005 has been formulated. The objective of this policy is alleviation of poverty, sustainable development of life and livelihood, integrated coastal development and involvement of the coastal people into mainstream development of the country. Under this policy people living in the coastal area will be provided education, medical assistance, safe dwelling place, safe drinking water and sanitation facilities. In addition, will be supported in employment generation, proper use of land, water, fisheries, animal husbandry, forestation for the people living in coastal area. The policy also targets ensuring gender equality in distribution of assets and employment opportunity in the coastal area. Thus the policy will directly impact on women s development of 19 coastal districts. 4.3 To alleviate poverty of destitute women, their participation has been ensured in the various infrastructures maintenance related activities of water sector under Participatory Water Management Regulation 2014 and Bangladesh Water Development Board Act According to this rule, in the infrastructure development or maintenance related activities every water management group will form cluster groups including landless men and women of the project area of which 30% will be women. Moreover, to ensure the proper maintenance of earthwork in the various projects, there is a provision to include two female members in the executive committee of water management groups. 5.0 Priority Spending Areas and Benefits for Women s Advancement Priority spending Area/Program 1. Excavation/Re-excavation of Rivers and Khals, Construction of Structures and their Maintenance works Impact on women s advancement (Direct and Indirect) Rivers and canals are the primary source of water for providing irrigation facilities to agricultural land. These rivers and canals are gradually being silted up and as such, excavation/re-excavation of rivers and canals has become imperative.. Excavation/re-excavation of rivers/canals, construction of structures and their maintenance will protect agriculture and properties, create employment opportunities for the poor, a large number of whom are women. This will increase women s social security and empowerment. Employment opportunities for rural women will be created in different irrigation activities to be implemented during next three years.

4 116 Priority spending Area/Program 2. Repair/maintenance and development of existing coastal embankment/ structures and construction of new embankment/ structure and forestation works 3. Construction and maintenance of flood control embankment and erosion protection works to protect economically important places, lives and properties of the people and crops of the agricultural land 4. Conducting surveys to prepare water resource planning 5. Reclaiming the fair share of the water resources of border and common rivers Impact on women s advancement (Direct and Indirect) Repair/maintenance, rehabilitation and development of existing embankment/ structures, construction of new embankment & structures, and afforestation programs in the coastal area have been included as priority that will ensure protection and proper use of resources and create employment opportunities. This will increase women empowerment and their social security.. Valuable public and private properties, permanent buildings, industries and factories, business enterprises etc. have been fully destroyed due to river bank erosion leading to huge economic loss. The construction of k.m.river bank protection works and re-excavation of k.m. river will engage poorn people, create employment, protect properties and alleviate poverty. River bank protection works will create employment opportunities for women.. Surveys and mapping of water resource sector through the proper planning, implementation and management will create a qualitative change in overall water resource management. Women will be benefited from it. Establishment of the rights to fair share of water on border and Common Rivers will promote irrigation, increase agriculture production and collection of fish resources. This will make positive impact on women development. 6.0 Women s Share in Ministry s Total Expenditure (Taka in Crore) Budget Revised Budget Description Budget Revised Budget Women % Women % Women % Total National Budget 2,50,497 66, ,16,220 59, ,22,491 61, Ministry Budget 3,619 1, ,771 1, ,593 1, Development 2,831 1, ,025 1, ,850 1, Non- Development Source: RCGP database

5 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of the Ministry in relation to Women s Advancement and Rights in last three years Indicator Unit Actual Women s participation in water management groups Women s participation in Landless Contracting Society (LCS) Number 5,000 5,400 7,500 Number 9,000 13,000 20, Success in Promoting Women s Advancement Activities of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) has helped prevent floods, protect towns from river erosion, prevent loss of life and property from cyclones, prevent salinity intrusion to coastal land, reclaim land from sea etc. Women s participation in the implementation of these projects has been ensured. Widows and women abandoned by their husband will be given priority to distribution of reclaimed land under the project C.D.S.P-3. Under C.D.S.P-4 project, cluster villages prepared by partner agencies are being distributed among destitute women. Under this activity about 5,500 hector reclaimed land will be alloted to 9,586 distressed families (benefiting nearly 61,000 people). Under this programme, about 30,500 destitute women will be rehabilitated. Repair and maintenance of embankments in Haor area have been done by PIT under Food For Work program. Through this activity, 2 lakh work days has been created for the Women. 9.0 Recommendations for Future Activities Special resettlement arrangements should be taken into consideration by preparing a separate list of women and children affected by river erosion and natural disasters. There are a good number of initiatives to improve/build new infrastructure of Bangladesh Water Development Board throughout the country. Greater participation of women should be ensured for the construction and maintenance of these infrastructures. Water Management Rules entail the provision to form groups for water management of which 33% will be women.. There need to take proper steps to execute the rules. Massive afforestation activities can be taken on the large infrastructures of Bangladesh Water Development Board with intensive participation of women. The Ministry can undertake initiative to retain water in the project areas of the Ministry and promote fish cultivation through women s participation.