Delta Plan 2100 launched for water, food security

FE Report | Published: August 28, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

The government launched the Delta Plan 2100 project under which a long-term development plan would be framed for water and food security.
The Plan aims at turning Bangladesh into a sustainable economically-developed country.
Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal launched the project Wednesday at the NEC conference room at the Planning Commission in Dhaka with member of the General Economics Division (GED) Prof Shamsul Alam in the chair.
Disaster management and relief minister Mofazzel Hossain Chowdhury Maya and water resources minister Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud, state minister for planning and finance MA Mannan, ambassador of the Netherlands Gerben de Jong and high officials concerned were present.
The GED officials said they have started some preliminary works to formulate the Bangladesh Delta Plan (BDP) 2100 with the financial and technical support of the Netherlands government.
The Netherlands government is providing Tk 870 million in grants to Bangladesh in a bid to finalise the BDP 2100 by the year 2015. The GED of the Planning Commission will frame the long-term development plan aimed at ensuring sustainable development. At present, the Bangladesh government is implementing the Sixth Five-Year Plan following the Perspective Plan 2021. The BDP will focus more on climate change impact and food security of the people in this delta.
Planning Minister Mr Kamal said our next generation would have to face dire consequences unless we build protective shields against the impact of the climate change.
"For the sake of sustainability of environment and development, we need to act now without delay individually, locally, nationally, regionally and globally. We hope the Delta Plan will help make the country a sustainable developed nation," he added.
Mr Kamal said: "Though water resource is an integral part of our economy, historically it has been managed poorly resulting in higher pressure on the land, water resources and environment. So, the Bangladesh delta needs improvement of people's living conditions through effective management and governance of land, river and other natural resources."
Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud said the government policy of constructing new rural roads should be discouraged as those block water flow of canals and create hindrance for flushing out flood waters.
Restoration of the traditional low-cost water transport by re-excavating old river channels is imperative for the country, he added. A Netherlands-based consulting firm has already been appointed to prepare the development plan.
First the consultant would conduct base-line study on 19 thematic areas for finalisation of the development plan.
Each baseline study will review the current policy and planning processes and their problems, identify priority areas, problem, knowledge gaps, international innovations/practices which might provide an alternative solution to the priority works, tentative scenario and holistic perspective with indication of possible interventions and solutions.
GED officials said under the long-term BDP 2100, the country's mid-term perspective plans would be formulated and all the development plans will be executed through the five-year plans of the government.
He said the government would also formulate a law to implement the long-term national development document BDP 2100 for ensuring its proper implementation.
A 19-member panel of experts, headed by Prof Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, Vice Chancellor of University of the Asia Pacific, would review the plan document where a joint inter-governmental committee of Bangladesh and the Netherlands will assist the work.