Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday sought Bangladesh to be showcased as an international model for SDG 6, involving clean water and sanitation, through adopting appropriate strategy and action plan.
“We have to prepare an action plan to make Bangladesh as an example to be followed by the world,” she said in a statement marking the opening of a national workshop on preparation of country paper on Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) at the Prime Minister’s Office.
Hasina added: “I am confident that Bangladesh could show its capacity in this area the way it achieved the Millennium
Development Goals.”
Bangladesh, she said, by now showed epoch making success to ensure people access to safe drinking water and sanitation and now “we want to ensure safe water for hundred percent of our population”.
Five government organisations - DPHE, DoE, WARPO, BWDB and DBHWD – in association with relevant departments and agencies backed by expert assistances prepared six draft concept papers along with the action plan on SDG 6 targets.
The draft action plan will be finalised after considering the feedback from the participants of the workshop and thereafter, a country paper will be prepared.
Hasina, a special adviser of UN High Level Panel on Water, said Bangladesh already formulated a national policy on water, water supply and sewerage policy, environment protection rules and Water Act to facilitate implementation of the SDG 6.
The prime minister said demand of water is increasing fast due to industrial and agricultural growth but a huge volume of water is being wasted because of natural adversities including climate change, drought, flood and water surge. “Simultaneously, ground water level is going down causing scarcity of water in lean period.”
She said the government has adopted a water management policy by taking into account all related phenomenon of the country while “we have laid emphasis on using surface water
reducing dependence on aquifer”.
Hasina said the government has taken initiative for “Delta Plan- 2100” outlining the water resources management strategy for the next 100 years.
“In the world climate conference Bangladesh is pressing for creating a special fund for water and sanitation to help the countries affected by adverse impacts of climate change,” she said.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a 15-year universal development plan adopted by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in 2015 on conclusion of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Seventeen SDGs with a total of 169 targets would guide the international development agenda.
SDG 6 seeks to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all fixing six targets and two implementation mechanisms.