Regional Cooperation for Climate Resilient/Sensitive Development in Water Sector

South Asia is a region of high population density, rapid economic growth and diverse natural resources. However, it also faces multiple challenges in ensuring water, energy and food security for its people. The interdependence of these three sectors, known as the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus, requires integrated and holistic approaches to address the trade-offs and synergies among them.

To adapt to climate change and ensure water, energy and food security in South Asia, it is important to adopt a nexus approach that considers the interdependencies and trade-offs among the three sectors, and seeks to enhance synergies and co-benefits. A nexus approach can help to improve resource use efficiency, reduce wastage and pollution, promote innovation and diversification, and foster policy coherence and coordination. For example, improving irrigation efficiency can save water and energy, enhancing soil conservation can increase water availability and crop productivity, developing renewable energy sources can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on fossil fuels, and promoting dietary shifts can lower water and energy footprints.

This approach requires integrated planning and management across sectors and scales, as well as stakeholder participation and cooperation. Some of the benefits of applying the nexus approach in South Asia include: enhancing water productivity and efficiency; promoting renewable energy sources and energy conservation; reducing food losses and waste; improving soil health and agricultural resilience; strengthening regional cooperation and transboundary governance; and fostering innovation and knowledge sharing. These measures can help to build resilience and adaptive capacity in the water, energy and food sectors, and contribute to sustainable development in South Asia.

9 September

12:15 PM – 2:15 PM

Lead

Partner

Speakers

Keynote

Malik Fida A Khan

Executive Director, Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services

Malik Fida A Khan

Executive Director, Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services

Mr. Malik Fida A Khan, has over 3 decades of experience in water resource planning and management, integrated coastal zone management planning, transboundary water management, climate change, integrated, long-term strategic planning, master plans and resource management through the use of information & technology. Currently, he is serving as the Executive Director of Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS), an intellectual services and consulting organization. Along with that, he is appointed as a member of National River Conservation Commission and is an expert member of Joint River Commission.
He has been directly associated with the implementation of significant planning projects at the national level in Bangladesh. Notable among these are National Water Management Plan, Integrated Coastal Zone Management, Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100, Haor Master Plan, National Adaptation Plan, and National Determined Contributions (NDC).
He has over a decade and a half of experience in transboundary water management in Bangladesh. He was associated with the expert team appointed by the government to formulate various strategies for sustainable basin-based water sharing between important transboundary rivers between Bangladesh and India. He was involved in the impact assessment and review of India's proposed Tipaimukh Hydro-Electric Project as a member of the India-Bangladesh Joint Study Team. He led the expert team on behalf of Bangladesh in Environmental Flow Assessment of Sundarbans, a joint study of India and Bangladesh under IUCN's Eco-Systems for Life project.
He has experience in developing various basin-wise mathematical models for water resource at national and regional levels. He has also developed various hydrodynamic and hydrological models to assess the adverse impacts of future climate change on the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna Basin.
Mr. Khan has represented the Government of Bangladesh at a number of significant expert-level meetings on both national and international levels. At the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) or the 26th Conference of the Parties (COPs), he played a significant role as a member of the expert team on behalf of the Government of Bangladesh in making a detailed presentation on the adverse effects of climate change-induced sea level rise, national adaptation plans and nationally determined contributions. He is also representing the coordinator of UN Working Group on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) from the Ministry of Water Resources, Bangladesh.
Mr. Khan has 30 publications so far including various peer reviewed journal papers and conference papers. Also, he is working as a faculty in various institutions at national and international level for regular training on water management, climate change, integrated water resource planning and management, mathematical models etc. at public and private level.