Civil society organizations on Monday demanded self-funding, regional priority plans for disaster resilience instead of reliance on debt-based projects, marking the memory of the devastating cyclone "Mary-An" that struck on April 29, 1991.
At a human chain in front of the National Press Club, speakers called for greater investment in sustainable waste management, saline-free water treatment plants, and concrete embankments to safeguard coastal communities.
They also emphasized that UN agencies and INGOs should refrain from direct project implementation, leaving leadership to local NGOs.
The event was jointly organized by Sundarban Upakul Surokkha Andolon, ARBAN, Udayan Bangladesh, Keraniganj Human Development Society, SDO, Unnayan Dhara Trust, COAST Foundation, EquityBD, Unnayan Sabolombi Sangstha, ARBAN Nari Jagoron, BDCSO Process, and BNNRC, with EquityBD leading.
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Moderated by Mustafa Kamal Akanda of EquityBD and chaired by Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Executive Director of COAST Foundation, the human chain featured speakers including Nikhil Chandra Bhadra, Sheikh Asad, Shaheda Khatun, Shahriar Shawon, and M.A. Hasan.
Shahriar Shawon said, Mangrove forests protect us in any disaster. But power plant projects like Rampal-Matarbari are being built by destroying these forests. We want to demand that we move away from these environmentally destructive projects and move towards renewable energy.
M.A. Hassan remarked that the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief has adopted a national strategy and a 20-year action plan [2022-2042] on internal displacement management. Six years have passed, and the government's initiative to implement this action plan is unclear.
He emphasized that merely formulating an action plan is insufficient to address the pressing crisis of future displacement; priority-based investments are essential to build a climate-resilient Bangladesh.
Sheikh Asad, noted that salinity intrusion and declining groundwater levels have resulted in an acute freshwater crisis, increasing health risks. He demanded immediate steps by the government to establish climate-resilient salinity-free water treatment plants to address this urgent drinking water issue.
Mustafa Kamal Akanda emphasized that UN agencies and INGOs must avoid direct project implementation and allow local NGOs to take the lead.
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He conveyed that the time has come to foster a sense of self-respect and self-development by establishing equitable and dignified partnerships between INGOs & domestic NGOs.
Rezaul Karim Chowdhury asserted the need for self-funding regional priority plans nationally for disaster resilience, which should not be a debt creating instrument.
He stated that concrete embankments should be constructed to protect the lives, assets, and agricultural lands of coastal communities. The Water Development Board must be accountable to local government institutions. He also mentioned that a maximum of Tk 2,000 crore will be necessary for concrete block embankment and generating coastal forests, and the government should allocate this budget accordingly.
The government should promote water treatment technology for sustainable solutions to the coastal freshwater crisis, he added.