CEGIS receives award for stall at International Conference

CEGIS was awarded in recognition of having the second best stall at the “International Conference on Regional Cooperation on Trans boundary Rivers: Impact of the Indian River Linking Project”. The conference, organized by Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA), Bangladesh Environment Network (BEN), Bangladesh Economic Association (BEA), Institution of Engineers Bangladesh (IEB), Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET) and University of Dhaka (DU), was held at the IEB premises from 17th to 19th December 2004. CEGIS, Institute of Water Management (IWM), Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), BAPA, Dusthya Shasthya Kendra (DSK), and other organizations opened stalls at the IEB premises to present their activities. The theme of the CEGIS stall was Water and Environment.

The objective of the conference was to bring together experts and activists from the South Asian region as well as from other parts of the world to examine the impact of the Indian River-linking Project. The participants examined the project from the point of view of regional cooperation aimed at harnessing the water resources of the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna basins for mutual benefit of their respective nations. 

Best Paper Award received by Analytical Framework presentation.  

CEGIS, along with delegates from Bangladesh and 44 other countries, participated in the 30th Water, Engineering and Development Centre (WEDC) Conference held in Laos PDR during 25-29 October 2004. There were 145 practitioner and academic papers presented at the conference, mainly focusing on people centered approaches on vulnerability analysis, economic development, environment and sanitation, health and hygiene, and poverty reduction. Mr. S.H.M. Fakhruddin, representing CEGIS, presented a paper on the “Analytical Framework for Planning of IWRM” which received the Best Paper Award at the event.

CEGIS together with WARPO is developing an analytical framework for macro level planning of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). The analytical framework will be used to assess and evaluate the programs under the National Water Management Plan (NWMP) of Bangladesh in terms of contribution to the national development objectives such as poverty reduction and project impacts on the social and environmental aspects of the country. 

Workshop on " Monitoring and Prediction of Erosion"  

On 18 September 2004 WARPO and CEGIS, under the framework of the Environmental Monitoring Information Network for Water Resources (EMIN) Project, jointly organized a workshop on "Monitoring and Prediction of Erosion". Mr. Hafizuddin Ahmad, Bir Bikram, Hon’ble Minister, Ministry of Water Resources, was Chief Guest on the occasion.

CEGIS has further improved bank erosion prediction tools through EMIN. The project makes use of CEGIS’ technological expertise to support national organizations and NGOs working in erosion vulnerable areas. In phase II of the project, the focus is mainly on bank erosion in the Jamuna River, and on preparing a set of information products for monitoring and predicting bank erosion over the period of one year. These products, the first of their kind, were presented in the workshop for feedback from the participating national organizations. 
National workshop on "Options for Flood Risk and Damage Reduction in Bangladesh."  
CEGIS participated in a high-profile national workshop on "Options for Flood Risk and Damage Reduction in Bangladesh", inaugurated by Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia on 7 September 2004. The workshop was organized by the Prime Minister's office. 

The objective of the workshop was to develop a context based set of recommendations on policy and action plans for flood management in Bangladesh through evaluating the experiences of flooding, flood and disaster management initiatives and lessons learnt from different floodplains interventions and flood disaster management. The workshop also evaluated the socio-economic dimensions of the problem. Policymakers, water experts, environmentalists, economists, development partners, civil and military officials, media and NGO representatives, and members of law enforcing agencies took part in the workshop. 

52 thematic papers were presented on the different sectors and fields relating to floods. Dr. Riaz Khan, Executive Director CEGIS, presented a paper on " Community Participation in Flood Management". The paper described how community based flood management can bring about flood and disaster risk reduction.

A number of recommendations emerged from the workshop in terms of improving risk reduction efforts through the strengthening of key stakeholders' abilities to mitigate, prepare for and respond to disasters. The workshop recommended: 
i)  Review and amendment of the standing directives on flood management in the light of lessons 
    learnt from the 2004 floods;

ii) District, upazilla and union level disaster management committees must continue to maintain their 
    capacity to plan and respond to natural hazards in a timely manner;

iii) Essential relief equipment and supplies as well as available human resources to respond effectively 
    to natural disasters must be catalogued prior to the seasonal periods of floods and cyclones. 
Third South Asian Water Forum (SAWAF III)  
CEGIS participated in the Third South Asia Water Forum (SAWAF III) held in Dhaka on 13-15 July, 2004. Organized by the Bangladesh Water Partnership in collaboration with GWP-South Asia, the event was held to uphold the spirit of the previous two Forums: SAWAF I held in Nepal in 2002 with the main theme 'Hydropower', and SAWAF II held in Pakistan in 2003 with the main theme 'Ground Water’. This year's Forum theme was 'Achieving the WSSD Targets and Meeting MDGs: Role of GWP-South Asia'. In the context of Bangladesh, 'Flood Management' was also considered as a focus theme at the Forum.

Over 200 water professionals from South Asian countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India) and other countries like Malaysia, The Netherlands, UK, Australia, USA, delegates from Global Water Partnership Headquarters at Stockholm, Sweden, and Japan Water Forum participated in the Forum. About 70 technical papers were presented on various themes of SAWAF III, with a set of recommendations for the water sector in South Asia and for preparing documents for presentation at the next Fourth World Water Forum to be held in Mexico in 2006. 
CEGIS working to establish Aquatic Biodiversity Database.  
CEGIS has been subcontracted to establish an aquatic biodiversity database in a GIS environment for the Fourth Fisheries Project (FFP). The ‘Aquatic Resources Development, Management and Conservation Studies’ are part of the five components under the FFP funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The overall aim of the project is to assist the DoF in incorporating aquatic biodiversity conservation and management objectives into the mainstream of inter-sectoral development planning. MacAlister Elliot and Partners Ltd., is the contractor of this component of the FFP.

The main objective of the project is to enhance the National Fisheries Database in terms of an Aquatic Biodiversity Database and develop a framework for a national aquatic biodiversity information system. In addition to this, the project will conduct pilot studies with the GEF to address special issues. A training and capacity development program will also be conducted to strengthen the DoF for data analysis.

The project activities thus include:
  • Enhancement of National fisheries Database 
  • Base data establishment 
  • Design and specification of a National Aquatic Biodiversity Information System 
  • Special studies 
  • Develop a methodology for seasonal water area monitoring of beels 
  • Develop shrimp farm boundary database for the coastal fisheries component for the study sites using high resolution satellite images 
  • Training and capacity development 
  • Data interpretation and Analysis 
CEGIS undertakes 7 new EIA studies.  

The Water Development Board has recently handed over the responsibility of conducting 7 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies to CEGIS. The new projects are:

  • Construction of Flood Control Embankment along the Right Bank of the River Korotoya at Amarkhana of Saldarga Union in the district of Panchagar 
  • Panchanala-Koyabeel Drainage and Irrigation Scheme 
  • Banchanagar-Hasandi FCDI Project 
  • Halda Parrallel Khal Project 
  • Construction of Regulator in Polder 64/A and 64/1 at Banskhali 
  • Rehabilitation of FC Embankment from Puniatong to Gouripur-Homna Road 
  • Removal of Drainage Congestion in Comilla Town and Re-excavation of Chandpur Khal Project 
The objectives of these studies would be to assess environmental impacts of the projects and suggest measures for mitigating negative impacts and compensating for those that cannot be mitigated, enhancing positive impacts, and presenting an environmental monitoring plan. CEGIS’ responsibilities in this connection would be mainly to conduct additional topographical surveys, site investigations and hydrological data collection, provide support staff, undertake operation and maintenance of the office, prepare reports and maintain liaison with other Government Departments and agencies related to EIA studies. 

It may be mentioned here that CEGIS is also currently carrying out an upgrade/update of the feasibility studies of six BWDB projects.
The proposed project features of construction of flood control embankment along the right bank of Korotoa river Pachanala –Koya beel drainage and irrigation project Water resources system and interventions in Banchanagar-Hasandi Project Existing and proposed interventions of the Halda Parallel Khal Project Existing infrastructure map of Gumti River Proposed Project Map of Comilla Drainage Command area of the two proposed regulators in polders 64/1A and 64/2A