Revitalizing the Ganges Coastal Zone Conference 21-23 October 2014, Dhaka, Bangladesh http://waterandfood.org/ganges-conference/

1. Revitalizing
the
Ganges
Coastal
Zone:
Turning
Science
into
Policy
and
Prac;ces
Conference
DECLARATION
Dhaka,
21
October
2014

2. Whereas
the
Government
of
the
People’s
Republic
of
Bangladesh,
seeking
to
improve
the
livelihoods
of
the
people
of
the
Coastal
Zone;
increase
the
producFon
of
commodiFes;
and
ensure
the
sustainability
of
the
natural
ecosystem
and
infrastructure
of
the
Coastal
Zone,
has
approved,
or
has
requested,
the
draIing
of
Policies,
Acts,
Strategies
and
Plans
including,
but
not
restricted
to
the:

3. Policies,
Acts,
Strategies
and
Plans
• Coastal
Area
Development
Plan
• Master
Plan
for
Agricultural
Development
in
Southern
Bangladesh
• Bangladesh
Water
Act
• NaFonal
Delta
Plan
• Coastal
Development
Strategy
• Joint
CooperaFon
Strategy

4. The
Par;cipants
of
this
Conference,
‘Revitalising
the
Ganges
Coastal
Zone:
Turning
Science
into
Policy
and
Prac;ces’,
hereby:
RECOGNIZE
that
many
appropriate
policies
are
in
place
to
manage
the
polders
on
a
macro-­‐
scale.
Projects
and
programs
are
working
to
maintain
and
enhance
embankments,
de-­‐silt
canals,
and
improve
polder-­‐level
water
management
through
water
management
organisa;ons
based
on
village
representa;on;

5. The
Par;cipants
of
this
Conference,
‘Revitalising
the
Ganges
Coastal
Zone:
Turning
Science
into
Policy
and
Prac;ces’,
hereby:
RECOMMEND
that
the
same
government
and
partners
increase
their
investments
inside
the
polders
at
the
meso
and
micro
levels
through
the
crea;on
of
Community
Water
Management
Units
based
on
the
hydrology
of
the
landscape.
Policies
implemented
around
Water
Management
Units
and
supported
with
public
and
private
investments
would
create
the
possibility
for
improved
drainage,
enabling
adop;on
of
modern
early-­‐maturing
aman
varie;es,
and
in
turn
allowing
diversifica;on
into
high-­‐value
farming
systems,
including
rabi
crops.
Improved
drainage
also
enables
the
implementa;on
of
produc;ve
and
sustainable
aman-­‐shrimp/fish
systems
in
saline
areas.
Improved
management
of
(fresh
and
saline)
water
resources
will
allow
intensifica;on
to
highly
produc;ve
double
or
triple
cropping
systems
in
much
of
the
coastal
zone,
contribu;ng
to
increased
food
security
and
improved
incomes.
Further
investment
in
value
chains
is
required
to
create
the
necessary
market
linkages
for
these
products.
The
Community
Water
Management
Unit
approach
would
have
the
added
benefit
of
reducing
conflict
and
improving
equity
in
decision
making
related
to
natural
resource
management;

6. The
Par;cipants
of
this
Conference,
‘Revitalising
the
Ganges
Coastal
Zone:
Turning
Science
into
Policy
and
Prac;ces’,
hereby:
URGE
the
Government,
civil
society,
private
sector,
communi;es
and
development
partners
to
acknowledge
the
gains
to
be
made
by
ensuring
an
integrated
approach
to
developing
the
coastal
zone
and
undertake
a
consulta;ve
process
culmina;ng
in
a
‘2015
Coastal
Zone
Summit’
of
interested
par;es
to
explore
the
poten;al
for
such
alignment
and
harmoniza;on.