B'desh sand to keep the Maldives afloat
In this endeavour to tackle the effects of global warming, none other than Bangladesh is playing Good Samaritan. Both countries are planning to sign a deal within four months to ship sand to the Maldives. The island nation faces a real threat of being inundated if the sea level rises by even one metre.
"We have received a proposal from the Maldives government regarding this. They want to import soil from our country in defence against rising sea levels. A joint committee of both countries is looking into it and we may seal a deal in the next three to four months," confirmed Muhammad Faruk Khan, the Bangladesh commerce minister, who was in Kolkata last week.
Maldives, a chain of 1,200 islands and coral atolls about 500 miles from the tip of India, may disappear if the present pace of global warming continues unabated.
B'desh sand to keep the Maldives afloat
According to a United Nation's forecast, sea levels are likely to rise by up to 59 cm by 2100 due to global warming. The archipelago is one of the lowest countries on the planet, with an average land level of 1.5 metres above sea level.
"Dredging of rivers is a necessity for Bangladesh, as a huge amount of sediment is naturally deposited from the Himalayas. The quantity of these sediments is around 1 billion cubic metres, which is why our rivers are losing their navigability. We are more than happy if the deal works out, because it will be beneficial for a brotherly nation," Khan added.
Bangladesh is planning to start a huge river project worth over BDT 1,000 crore ( Rs 638 crore) to dredge all major rivers, which will bring up huge quantities of sand in the near future. "To start this project, we have zeroed in on a place near Mongla port on the Posur river," he said.
Earlier this year, Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed had expressed interest in importing sand and earth from Bangladesh.
Source: The Business Standard