Hindu Kush Himalaya Parliamentarians' Meet: Khosru proposes regional water management mechanism

BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury today (18 August) proposed establishing a regional water management mechanism, emphasising that biodiversity and water management are closely interlinked.

"We are really not discussing the water issue, which is extremely important," he said, highlighting the challenges faced by lower riparian countries.

The BNP leader was speaking at a high-level panel discussion titled 'Impacts of Climate Change, Disaster Risks, and the Role of Parliamentarians', held on the sidelines of the Hindu Kush Himalaya Parliamentarians' Meet 2025 in Nepal.

Khosru said upper riparian countries are withdrawing water and building dams and hydropower projects in violation of international water-sharing laws.

Such actions, he thinks, are destroying biodiversity, damaging agricultural systems and threatening the livelihoods of people in downstream nations.

"Bangladesh is really suffering. Our agriculture and biodiversity are being affected. The livelihoods of a huge population are also at risk. This is a serious issue. I think we need to address this in the future," the BNP leader said.

In the context of shared river basins, upper riparian refers to countries located upstream, which can influence water flows, while lower riparian refers to downstream countries that depend on the flow regulated by upstream nations.

National Citizen Party's Joint Member Secretary Mir Arshadul Hoque also raised the Teesta water-sharing issue, stressing that Bangladesh is not receiving its fair share of Teesta water.

At the same time, he said, during the rainy season excess water is released without prior warning, worsening the crisis.

"There should be a team of parliamentarians in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region to monitor what is happening and what can be done to address emerging issues," Arshadul said, adding that such a step would be more effective.

BNP leader Khosru stressed the need to bring climate and biodiversity issues into parliamentary proceedings and political discourse, noting that these issues remain less-discussed.

He also underscored the importance of forming parliamentary caucuses, introducing green laws, and implementing a green levy.

Earlier, Bangladesh delegation leader and Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT) Affairs Adviser Supradip Chakma urged collective and effective actions to tackle the pressing challenges of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, including climate change, biodiversity loss and air pollution.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the HKH Parliamentarians' Meet 2025, he emphasised the importance of solidarity in addressing these shared crises.

"Let's be together and try to see that we can bring a change for the region, for our whole Himalayan community and for the rest of the world," he said while delivering his speech.

Nepal's President Ramchandra Paudel attended the meet as the chief guest, while Speaker Devraj Ghimire attended it as a special guest.  

International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) Director General Pema Gyamtsho and representatives from other participating countries also spoke at the inaugural session.

The inaugural session was followed by various technical sessions.  

The event is exploring common understandings, dialogues and coordination among the parliamentarians of the nations in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region.

The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) sustains nearly one-fourth of humanity, providing water, food and livelihoods for 240 million people in the mountains and 1.65 billion downstream.

But the region, experts say, faces urgent and interconnected threats from climate change, biodiversity loss, disasters and air pollution.

The Federal Parliament of Nepal is hosting the Hindu Kush Himalaya Parliamentarians' Meet, the largest-ever assembly of legislators from across the region.

The event offers policymakers a platform to deliberate on shared challenges and advance collective, trans-boundary solutions for a more resilient future.

The HKH parliamentarians' Meet 2025 aims to provide an effective platform for members of the parliaments from the HKH countries to come together, access the latest knowledge and information about the HKH region's issues, challenges and opportunities, share experiences about the best parliamentary practices and discuss forward-looking policy actions.