First mentoring session of SJWPBD ’23 held at BUET -ITN

Stockholm Junior Water Prize Bangladesh (SJWPBD) is a national competition where the winning team represents Bangladesh in the international arena. This competition enables youngsters to contribute by putting forward sustainable ideas about solving water related problems in Bangladesh. Students from class 9-12 can participate in this competition solo or in groups by submitting their projects. SJWPBD is an amazing opportunity for students to get international recognition for their innovation as a means of contributing to social development.

The first mentoring session for the Stockholm Junior Water Prize Bangladesh (SJWPBD) 2023 was held on 11th February, Saturday. The session was held at ITN-BUET. The session started at 09:00 a.m. with 42 participants from around the country. The ultimate purpose of the session was to educate the participants about SJWPBD and make them better prepared. An online information session related to the competition was also held on 9th February, 2023.

Four honorable mentors enlightened the participants with their graceful presence. They were- Dr. Tanvir Ahmed, Professor of the Department of Civil Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and Director of International Training Network Centre, BUET; Md. Enayet Chowdhury, Lecturer of the Institute of Water and Flood Management, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology; Tahmidul Islam, Technical Advisor of WASH, WaterAid Bangladesh and Dr. Mohidus Samad Khan, Associate Professor of Department of Chemical Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Senior Fellow of EsTex, BUET and Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) of Beximco Limited.

Sanjida Polin Maria and Faria Omar Tithi- volunteers of the House of Volunteers Bangladesh graciously began the session as hosts. They informed that the project proposals for the Stockholm Junior Water Prize Bangladesh were  accepted from 30th November, 2023. Later, everyone was welcomed to the mentoring session by hearing the experiences of Bakhtiar Zaman Bhuiyan, the winner of Stockholm Junior Water Prize Bangladesh (SJWPBD) 2016.

Mr. Tahmidul Islam, Technical Officer of Water Aid Bangladesh was the first mentor to start the session. He mentioned that currently the second generation challenge is human waste management.He also discussed the importance of menstrual health management. He presented the water problem of slums in the city. Apart from this, he talked about technologies such as pond sand filter, arsenic iron removal plant, bio-let etc.

Md. Enayet Chowdhury, Lecturer of Institute of Water and Flood Management of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology took the session as the second speaker. He cited unplanned infrastructure as the reason for the increased intensity of floods in haor areas of the North-Eastern region. He also talked about the waste management of Rohingya camps. He encouraged competitors to develop flood resilient crops for cultivation in these areas and emphasized on awareness of early warning system in Bangladesh.

Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering Department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology- Dr. Mahidus Samad Khan gave instructions as the next mentor. He introduced the contestants to the concept of water footprint. He explained to the participants how they can reduce their water footprint through small actions.

Later, the Professor of Civil Engineering Department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology- Dr. Tanvir Ahmed gave instructions to the contestants. He introduced the contestants to previous years’ winning projects. He also explained the entire process of the competition again. Meanwhile, when the contestants asked about the kind of help they can get from the House of Volunteers and Mentors in various examinations, Sir briefly discussed it.

Lastly, Alauddin Azad, Project Manager, ITN-BUET, urged the participants to continue working on their projects and ended the session on a positive note.

Contributor: Sandila Limraena

Contact: Afik Hasan

Operation Associate Officer

House of Volunteers Foundation Bangladesh

Contact: +8801675451650,

Email: info@houseofvolunteers.org