WATER 2 LST

On China, the Bangladeshi delegate at the conference said
that lack of information from Beijing is a major issue faced
by managing water resources in the Himalayan River Basin.
Information is not forthcoming, especially as to what
are China's plans for rivers that flow through to the South
Asian countries especially Nepal, India and Bangladesh, said
Bangladesh's former Water Resources Minister Hafiz Uddin
Ahmad.
There is no political will either because there is
no political pressure on managing the water resources, he told
the delegates.
Ahmad expressed concerns over reports that China was
building a dam on Brahmaputra River, which could cut the
flow of water to Nepal, India and Bangladesh and impact the
lives of their people.
"We are getting very little information from China
on its managing of the water resources in the upper parts of
the rivers," he said, pointing out that Bangladesh would be
among the worst hit.
He also sought establishment of a parliamentary committee
on regional water resource management.
India has said that it was "alert" to reports of China
damming cross-border rivers and has sought assurances from
Beijing that it will take no action to negatively affect the
flow of the rivers into India.
The Singapore workshop organised by the Rajaratnam School
of International Studies was the third meeting of experts from
the four countries. The first meeting was held in Kathmandu in
August last year while the second took place in Dhaka in
January this year. PTI