Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Syeda Rizwana Hasan today (6 December) urged the international community to ensure climate justice and make sure Bangladesh’s due share of water to safeguard public health in the coastal region.
“People in Bangladesh’s coastal areas are suffering from an acute water crisis, and the international community must come forward to ensure climate justice, technical support and minimum financial assistance,” she said.
The adviser was addressing an international conference on ‘Water Security and Climate Change: Local Knowledge, Global Perspectives’ as the chief guest at the Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban of Dhaka University today (6 December). DU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Niaz Ahmed Khan chaired the conference.
Noting the health concern of the women of the coastal area, she said women bear the brunt of the crisis as they are the main providers of water in families.
“In some coastal areas, women cannot bathe for three to four days and must walk kilometres to collect safe drinking water, leaving their children in unsafe conditions at home,” she added.
Rizwana Hasan said coastal girls are “terrified of menstruation”, with many taking birth control pills to menstruate only once every two to three months due to a lack of water for maintaining hygiene.
She noted that complications such as pre-eclampsia are increasing among pregnant women and have become a common problem in the region.
Stressing on ensuring climate justice, the adviser said donor countries are failing to fulfil their commitments on climate change mitigation, adaptation and compensation.
“Despite pledges of new and additional financial support, many vulnerable countries are being pushed into debt, forcing them to borrow to address suffering not created by them.”
On Bangladesh’s water security, Rizwana Hasan said Bangladesh, as a lower riparian country, faces low flows in all rivers and water-sharing in border rivers is tied to international politics.
“Upstream countries hold back water during the dry season but release excess water during the monsoon period, worsening floods,” she said, highlighting the need for a due share of water on time.