Dhaka, May 9 -- Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) on Saturday urged the government to treat the ongoing canal re-excavation programme not merely as a dredging exercise but as a core component of integrated spatial planning, water governance and climate adaptation.

The institute presented its position paper titled "Canal Re-excavation Programme: In the Context of Water Management, Climate Adaptation and Spatial Planning."

Canal re-excavation is a necessary beginning, but to achieve lasting results, it must be linked to land use control, natural drainage preservation, waste management, climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation and long-term maintenance, BIP said in the paper.

Govt targets 20,000km canal excavation in five years:...