Chief Representative's Speech

His Excellency, Mr. Zaheed Farooque, MP, Honorable State Minister of Water Resources
His Excellency, Mr. A K M Enamul Hoque Shameem, MP. Honorable Deputy Minister of Water Resources
His Excellency, Mr. Naoki Ito, Honorable Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh
Mr. Kabir Bin Anwar, Respected Secretary, Ministry of Water resources
Distinguished Guests, ladies and gentlemen

Ami Shurutei Mujib Shotoboshor Jonno Shubo Kamona Janai.
In 1954 and 1955 devastating floods in East Bengal Region, Banghabandu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman played a pioneering role to support flood disaster management and raised the people's voice to the former Pakistan Government.

After 65 years, today, I am very pleased to participate in the historical moment. This Nodi project is a first response from Japan to the Delta Plan 2100, which was finalized by Government of Bangladesh last year under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to tackle climate change impact including flood and river erosion.

The big rivers in this country such as Brahmaputra, Ganges and Padma are the most difficult river to control in the world. This is because Bangladesh locates on a soft ground zone made by pull apart movement caused by collision of Indian Subcontinent and Eurasian plate, which was later buried by world biggest sedimentation from the Himalayas. Because of the soft ground and large influx of sediments, the rivers make continuous channel shifting average 50 m in a year that causes wide spread bank erosion and sedimentation. The fact Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna River basin locates in the world No.1 precipitation area adds more difficulty to control the rivers.

The history of Bangladesh is the history of flood and reconstruction.
In the last five decades, the Brahmaputra, Ganges and Padma rivers have consumed nearly 160,000 hectares of land. More than 120,000 people are displaced by river erosion every year.
Accumulation of people's asset and infrastructure and increasing impact of climate change has expanded the loss caused by flood and river bank erosion.
Against the background and history, Delta Plan 2100 sets the long term framework for Bangladesh to manage the most difficult rivers in the planet.

Ladies and gentlemen,
The Nodi project will contribute to the implementation of the Delta Plan 2100 which puts more emphasis on preventive investment.
This project will at first support Bangladesh to establish "Technology Adaptation Cycle" to develop unique river engineering for the living rivers by using Bangladesh and international river management technology as well as Japan's long term river control experiences both in engineering and budgeting.
The Nodi project will facilitate cooperation among Ministry of Water Resource, BWDB and other Development Partners in order to share global best practices in implementing optimal combination of various measures for the entire river system in Bangladesh. In the course of implementation, the Nodi Project will verify technologies through pilot activities.

Ladies and gentlemen,
The Nodi Project will be the first step of JICA's new endeavor to protect people and land of Bangladesh from the most challenging rivers. I would like to conclude my remarks by expecting this first small step will attract many partners from the world and work together for implementing Delta Plan and materializing Bangabandhu's dream for Sonar Bangla.
Bangladesh O Japaner Bondon Chirozibi Hok

SOBAIKE ONEK DHONNOBAD.