Saving water bodies is key to saving Dhaka: Environment adviser

Protecting Dhaka’s water bodies is essential for the city’s survival, with no alternative to restoring reservoirs, said Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the Ministry of Water Resources.

“Dhaka residents are already seeing the benefits of ongoing canal recovery work. Even during peak monsoon this year, waterlogging was less severe compared to previous years. We have allocated funds from the Climate Trust Fund to the Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka for restoring 40 ponds in the city,” Rizwana said on Saturday (September 6).

She was speaking at the “Urban Dialogue on Restoration of Dhaka’s Water Bodies: Challenges and Prospects” and the Best Urban Reporting Award 2025 ceremony organised by the Urban Development Journalists’ Forum of Bangladesh (UDJFB).

Rizwana stressed that public awareness and unity can ensure the protection of reservoirs, recalling how collective action in Bholaganj stopped illegal stone extraction. “We are working on values, but we are lagging behind in terms of legacy,” she noted.

She also said she has not permitted deforestation during her tenure, though previous governments had approved cutting in several areas.

Regarding Dhaka’s Detailed Area Plan (DAP), she said: “There will be no such thing as a ‘general water body’ in the DAP. A water body means just that — a water body. We revised the DAP to remove all classifications, and no water body can be filled under any circumstances. We have finalised the Haor Protection Order, which includes guidelines on houseboats and agricultural activities within haor areas.”

The event concluded with the presentation of the Best Urban Reporting Award 2025, where six journalists were recognised across five categories.