Dutch envoy spells out help in water sector

FE Team | Published: April 26, 2010 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

FE Report
Ambassador of Netherlands Alphons Hennekens on Sunday said his country is keen to broaden the gamut of cooperation in the country's water sector, particularly in the coastal areas affected by climate change, as well as in river erosion management and joint venture investment.
He said effective water management is now crucial to survival for both the Netherlands and Bangladesh for protecting territories from natural disasters including flood and saving people from being displaced and pauperised by dearth of lands.
The Dutch envoy said this while talking on a visit by a water mission under the Netherlands government's "Water Mondiaal programme" at a press conference at a city hotel on Sunday.
He said the six-member mission led by Peter de Vries of the Netherland's foreign ministry will stay in Bangladesh from April 24 to April 30 to look for opportunities to broaden the cooperation programme under the new concept of development cooperation of the Netherlands.
"Bangladesh has been identified as one of the five delta-partner countries for this programme," he said adding that the central themes of Water Mondiaal in Bangladesh will be water supply, sanitation, water, food and ecosystems, water and safety, climate change adaptation and water governance.
"The Water Mondiaal comes at a moment when the sense of urgency is clear to all," the envoy said.
He said improving water governance that will have the Bangladesh government tap public resources for improved service delivery for its people is an immediate need.
"The funds are available, the institutions of the government need to be fully equipped to deliver the basic services effectively and efficiently," the ambassador said.
He said the mission which include representatives from environment, water, agriculture and transport ministries of the Netherlands will also see the opportunities of working with institutions and non-government organisations and identify ways and means to go for joint ventures in water purification and small dredging industries.
Mr. Hennekens said the Netherlands' participatory water management has proven to be an effective way to ensure operation and maintenance of water infrastructure through the support and involvement of local communities.
The Netherlands has been assisting Bangladesh with direct project support, knowledge exchanges and built up close relationship with the responsible government agencies during the 38 years. Cooperation between the two countries has largely developed within the framework of development cooperation programme.
Water Mondiaal programme envisages contributing to the broadening of the existing cooperation programme with the partner countries by facilitating intensified and high level exchanges of knowledge and experiences, capacity building and institutional strengthening.