Infrastructure Development and People’s Participation

Dr. Khurshed Alam Bangladesh Institute of Social Research

-BISR

A. Some changes in BWDB’s system and processa. BWDB is changing as an organization

from construction oriented to operation and maintenance oriented

b. Earlier working for the “self” which shifted to working “for the people and with the people”

c. Continuously trying to adapt with the emerging needs including new challenges of climate change

A. Some changes in BWDB’s system and process(Continue………)d. PreYet to identify the challenges of the

climate change in the organization and to open a research cell to translate knowledge into action in the organization to adapt the challenges particularly in planning and implementation.

e. pare to encounter twin challenges of climate change and control of water flow by the riparian countries on which the organization have to focus more in the coming days .

A. Some changes in BWDB’s system and process(Continue………)f. It was headed by the people’s

representative and worked “for the people” but yet to become a “pro-people organization’

g. BWDB can become a model organization if and if the necessary institutional arrangement has been made by the same and for the same

B. People’s Participation a. Identification and design of the

infrastructures through people’s participation

b. Tendering and implementation through people’s participation (LCS, CMG, EMG, etc. through local government agencies)

c. Technical solution vs. social solution or a mixed techno-social solution of the problems

B. People’s Participation(Continue…)d. Financing the operation and maintenance by

the agency and the people jointly or sharing responsibility .

e. Multipurpose infrastructure development involving private and public sectors .

f. Improving the knowledge management system in the BWDB in regard to Climate Change (CC) and Water Flow crisis .

g. Redesigning the infrastructures as per needs of the climate change. Creating a capacity for addressing the same. The following may be adapted:

Climate Change Problems Actions to be taken

Increased salinity in the coast

Shortage of drinking water

Increased arrangement of drinking water supply .

Increased cyclone with surge

Affect to cultivable land due to salinity

Protection of land from the tidal bore/ salinity

Affect to house structures

Protection of house structures from high wind speed

Increased tidal bore / high tide

Affect to cultivable land Protection of land from the tidal bore/ salinity

Increased drainage problem

Protection of land/ homestead from water congestion

Most of the actions to be taken by the BWDB and therefore, the organization needs to be given leadership to triumph over the crisis.

Climate Change

Problems Actions to be taken

Increased drought Affect to man and land and ecosystem

Preparation for mitigating the same

Increased or erratic precipitation

Affect to crops and crop productions

Preparation for mitigating the same

B. People’s Participation(Continue…)

h. Easy to work for the people but difficult to work with the people. Overcoming the difficulty to work with the people. Project like IPSWAM and WAMIP is under implementation where people’s participation has been given due emphasis. It is at the pilot stage.

i. BWDB has a long history of people’s participation as shown in J-K project. It has started now to implement the same in other parts of the country

j. Local level initiative was the main key for BWDB which lost its importance. The same can be revived.

Thanks to All.