Water - a contested subject in the increasingly water-stressed world

For the first time in its 19 years of the symposium, the International River Foundation took this year’s International River Symposium (IRS) to New Delhi, India. Last year, in the 18th IRS, I attended a breakfast meeting lecture delivered by a prominent professor from Dhaka University entitled, Tales of The River. The tale spoke about lives of community in the basin in Bangladesh that underwent disaster and each story was a touching one. For some amazing reason the speaker drew my attention for both the philosophical way he delivered his speech but also the human face in the Tale of the Rivers he spoke about.

This year, I sat in one of his session again at the 19th IRS in Delhi and listened to one among the many inspiring session on Water Democracy, delivered by the same professor. The discussion was a very interesting one; the lecture entitled the Water Museum. Museum’s visit is one of among the routine trip I make whenever I travel to a new country/place. But I haven’t heard of water museum before hence the interest increased.


Poster of Water Museum displayed at IRS in New Delhi.
Photo by author, 14 Sept 2016.


The initiative to set up the water museum was spurred out of the intention to shift the whole debate of the focus from the land-centric to the water-centric discussion. I owed you an explanation of my understanding of this centric topic. But the museum was set up with support from ActionAid Bangladesh in collaboration with local farmer association, who managed the operation of the museum. While it is opened for all types of audience, the primary target are children to educate them about the important role water plays in our lives.  There is a fee decided and set by the farmer association; each person/child needs to wash hand before entering the museum.

The museum exhibits water collected from over 20 river basins in Bangladesh and displays at its original colour; in addition, it displays the traditional fishing equipment donated by fishermen. An effort to bring the whole discourse of water democracy through the education of water in the museum. (see http://actionaid.org/bangladesh/publications/water-museum )

Water collected from different basin display in the museum. Photo retrieved from ActionAid Bangladesh site.

Water has played a vital part in human survival, needs, and aspiration. Its role in our lives goes beyond now and can be a mean for learning for new generation to come. If the Water Museum is anything interest, then there should be a sufficient enough inspiration to set up one for this region. 
http://www.actionaid.org/bangladesh/2016/04/journey-river-river


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