Dhaka: Water Resources Minister Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud on Friday said river erosion leaves about 50,000 people landless in the country every year as it has turned out to be a big problem.

‘When bank erosion takes place, it's not possible to rehabilitate them (those displaced). Theoretically, it's possible to rehabilitate, but in practice this is impossible,’ he told the inaugural session of an international conference at BRAC Centre Inn in the capital.

The two-day international conference of Water and Flood Management (ICWFM-2015) was organised by the Institute of Water and Flood Management Institute (IWFM) of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).

Speaking as the chief guest, Anisul Islam stressed the need for redesigning embankments to protect the country's coastal region from salinity intrusion caused by sea-level rise.

‘The country's coastal embankments were built 55 years bank in 1060s. Now we should redesign our embankments considering the projection of sea level rise (1.8 metre) by 2100.’

He urged the engineers to come up with their proper plans to redesign the coastal embankments.

Identifying sedimentation of rivers another big problem, the minister said bank erosion is connected with siltation as the silt run through the rivers each year accelerating river erosion.

About the protection of riverbanks, he said the government is going to take some mega projects involving Tk 1.7 billion to protect the banks of the Jamuna River and manage the water problems.

Referring to the proposed Ganges Barrage Project, Anisul Islam said about US$ 4 billion is needed to implement the project, but the project cost will be recovered within seven years once the barrage is built.

BUET vice-chancellor Khaleda Ekram, IWFM director GM Tarekul Islam and Buet professor Abul Fazal M Saleh also spoke at the inaugural session.