By M. Niamul Naser, University of Dhaka
Revitalizing the Ganges Coastal Zone Conference
21-23 October 2014, Dhaka, Bangladesh
http://waterandfood.org/ganges-conference/
Antisemitism Awareness Act: pénaliser la critique de l'Etat d'Israël
Fisheries and the Environmental Challenges of the Gorai-Madhumati River System
1. Conference
on
Revitalizing
the
Ganges
Coastal
Zone
October
21-‐23,
2014
M
Niamul
Naser
PhD
Professor
of
Zoology
University
of
Dhaka,
Dhaka
mnnaser@du.ac.bd
Cell.
01711
707217
Fisheries
and
the
Environmental
Challenges
of
the
Gorai-‐MadhumaM
River
System
2. Ganges
(=Padma)
and
Gorai
River
System
• River
Ganges
(Padma)
originates
from
Tibet-‐
India
border
area
as
Ganges
river
;
Passes
by
many
important
towns
• Gorai
is
the
a
tributary
of
river
Padma
at
KusMa
conMnued
as
MadhumaM,
Kacha
and
Baleswar
river.
• At
the
mouth
of
Bay
of
Bengal
this
river
is
known
as
Horinghata.
• Baleswar
is
the
eastern
border
of
the
Sunderban.
3. GORAI
R
89
Km
MADHUMATI
R
137
Km
BALESWAR
R
146
Km
4. Why
Gorai-‐MadhumaM
river
system
is
important?
• Gorai-‐MadhumaM
(GM)river
system
supplying
freshwater
to
the
Sunderbans
Mangrove
Forest
• The
river
system
is
in
total
372
km
long
• Considering
Ganges
dependent
area,
GORAI-‐MADHUMATI
serving
the
SWR
• GM
touches
16
districts
of
Bangladesh
in
its
course;
covering
16,100
km2
area
and
about
10-‐12
million
people.
• Agro-‐ecologically
the
GM
river
support
8,588
km2
of
crop
lands
5. River
Fish
Culture
Ecosys-‐
tem
People
NavigaMon
Riparian
wetland
PolluMon
Dam/
Barrage
Water
CC
??
28. Annual
fish
Catch
in
Rivers
(mt)
(2010-‐2011)
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Major
Carps
Other
Carps
Cat
fishes
Hilsha
Prawns
Other
fishes
KushMa
Magura
Narail
29. FINDINGS
• The
obvious
effect
of
drought
is
that
water
area
in
riverbed
decrease
in
size,
the
death
and
decomposiMon
of
aquaMc
plants
and
animals
releases
nutrients
such
as
nitrogen
and
phosphorus
into
the
remaining
water
resulMng
in
dense
growths
of
algae
• Diurnal
changes
in
oxygen
concentraMon
which
ulMmately
threaten
all
aquaMc
biota,
especially
fish.
• Drought
decreases
water
availability
and
consequently
disrupt
fish
producMon
in
the
river
30. FINDINGS
• River
water
scarcity
is
chronic
in
Gorai
river
• Adverse
climaMc
cycles
lead
to
detrimental
environmental
condiMons
• Drought
is
characterized
by
a
sequenMal
decline
in
rainfall,
surface
runoff,
soil
moisture,
groundwater
interacMon,
and
discharge
of
the
rivers
• As
the
drought
progresses,
floodplain
and
wetland
areas
dry,
and
rivers
become
confined
to
low-‐flow
channels.
37. PerspecMves
• Change
in
cropping
pa[ern
(Using
less
water?
+
nutriHonal
and
financial
security)
• Establishment
of
industry
(Sunflower
oil,
Maize
oil
mills?)
• Moving
towards
aquaculture
(freshwater
oxbow
lake,
ponds
and
lake)
• Ecotourism
in
Gorai
River
• Social
forestry
(save
environment,
fuel
and
earn
money)
39. Conserving
the
river
system
Ecology
of
the
river
Structures
&
Processes:
WQ,
biodiversity,
hydrology,
flooding
etc
Social
benefits
Goods
&
Services:
Fish,
Water
supply,
NavigaHons
etc
Valuing
River
services
Markets,
recreaHons,
non-‐monetary
value-‐AstheHc
Planning
by
prioriMzing
the
river
needs
a.FuncHonal
indicators:
biophysical
equivalences
b.Ecosystem
service
indicators:
socioeconomics
equivalence
40. Way
forward
• Establishing
water
quality
standards
for
river
• Monitoring
water
qualiMes
of
important
river
system
including
Gorai-‐MadhumaM
river
• Maintenance
of
ecological
water
flow
• Human
health
(eg.
Arsenic)
and
aquaMc
life
protecMon
measure
• Planning
by
prioriMzing
the
river
needs