By Wais Kabir, Sattar Mandal, Mike Robson (FAO) Revitalizing the Ganges Coastal Zone Conference 21-23 October 2014, Dhaka, Bangladesh http://waterandfood.org/ganges-conference/

1. Water Conges,on in the South West Bangladesh:
Threats and Opportuni,es
Wais
Kabir,
FAO
Sa.ar
Mandal,
FAO
Mike
Robson,
FAO

2. 1. Define
water
logging
2. Causes,
Effects
and
Efforts
to
Tackle
3. Opportunity
in
SWB
4. What
do
Stakeholders
say?
5. Realizing
Opportunity
6. RecommendaPons
Outline of presenta,on

3. 1. What do we mean by waterlogging*
*
seasonal
and
long-­‐las,ng
(e.g.
4-­‐6+
months)
flooding,
in
areas
not
previously
inundated
=
poor
drainage
of
seasonal
rain,
caused
by
siltaPon
in
rivers
-­‐
an
unwanted
side
effect
of
protecPve
embankments
-­‐
and
by
poorly
planned
infrastructure
investment
and
construcPon
• Widespread
impact
(typically
2-­‐500,000
people
affected)
• ParPcular
on
vulnerable

4. Image
of
common
water
(permanent)
November
2013
&
April
2014
13,767
ha

5. Area under water logging
Districts
Total
Area
under
districts
No.
Upozila
affected
Area
affected
Ha
%
of
Area
in
districts
Jessore
261,667
3
15,700
6
Khulna
475,575
2
19,023
4
Satkhira
371,889
3
33,470
9
Total
1,109,131
8
68,197
6

6. -
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
Jan
Feb
Mar
April
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Rainfall,
mm
1948-­‐68
1969-­‐89
1990-­‐11
Mean
monthly
total
rainfall
at
Khulna
during
1948-­‐2011
(BMD
data).
Late
monsoon
rain

7. Kabatak
Bed
SiltaPon
(IWM)
Trimohini
SreemontokaP

8. Silted
Kabatak
River

9. WATER
LOGGING
Monsoon
rain
Congested
drainage
due
to
human
acPvity
Silt
deposiPon
in
rivers
-­‐>
river
bed
levels
higher
than
polders
Silt
deposiPon
in
rivers
No
silt
inside
polders
ConstrucPon
on
flood
plain/river
banks
Aquaculture
blocks
flows
Minor
infrastructure
works
(roads,
etc)
block
flows
No
applicaPon
of
planning
rules
Individuals
use
poliPcal
influence
No
investment
in
modern
systems
poor
governance
of
execuPon
No
O
&
M
for
sluice
gates
&
other
infrastructure
poor
plan/design
of
projects?
High
silt
burden
Low
rate
of
flow
Public
opinion
focus
on
other
topics
as
cause
Minor
drainage
channels
blocked
Regular
maintenance
not
done
No
applied
“zoning”
2.
Causes
of
Water
logging

10. Unplanned
culverts/
pipe
culvert
across
the
Bhairab
river

11. • Households
and
assets
are
submerged
&
damaged
fully
or
parPally
• Water
supply
disrupted
=>
possible
disease
• No
shelter,
or
feed
for
livestock
=>
sold
at
much
lower
prices
• Families
take
refuge
in
temporary
shelters
• Schools
closed
=>
educaPon
disrupted.
• Markets
disrupted
for
buying
and
selling
produce
=>
food
unavailable
• Income
opportuniPes
are
scarce
=>
money
unavailable,
migrate
for
work
• Women
more
vulnerable-­‐
sanitaPon,
bathing,
early
marriage,
reduced
meal
Effects of water logging

12. What is being done to address-­‐ major works of BWDB
Bangladesh
Water
Development
Board
(BWDB)-­‐responsible
for
water-­‐related
infrastructure
Seven
projects
are
completed/ongoing
to
improve
drainage
faciliPes-­‐
excavaPon
of
rivers
and
Tidal
River
Management
(TRM)
Total
investment
of
around
BDT
1240
Crore
(or
around
$160M).
LGED
-­‐
minor
infrastructure
(roads,
culverts
bridges
etc.),
Dept.
of
Fisheries,
BADC
etc.
are
acPve

13. (other agencies addressing water logging)
Ø GOB:
Food
&
non
food
item
Ø UN
agencies
Ø Development
partners
Ø WFP-­‐Canals,
excavated
with
the
support
involving
local
community
Ø NGO/INGO
-­‐ Recovery
(Cash
for
work,
Cash
for
training),
-­‐ Relief
(food
and
cash
distribuPon,
Temporary
Shelter,
WASH),

14. ProducPon
calendar
of
Gher
(Agro-­‐aquaculture)
culture
system
of
South
West
Bangladesh
Period
(Months)
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Water
Source
ProducPon
System
in
Gher
a
Shrimp
cum
Paddy
(Aman)
Salt
water
Shrimp
and
Fish
Aman
Paddy
&
Fresh
water
Fish-­‐Prawn
Tidal
brackish
&
rain
b
Shrimp
&
fish
round
the
year
Salt
water
Shrimp
and
Fish
Fresh
water
fish
and
prawn
c
Paddy
(Boro)
cum
Fresh
water
Prawn
&
Fish
Paddy
(HYV
Boro)
Prawn
and
Fish
or
Fish
alone
Ground,
surface
Water
&
rain
d
Fresh
water
aquaculture
Fresh
water
fish
(Carp,
Tilapia,
Ca]ish)
with
or
without
prawn
3.
OpportuniPes

15. A
component
of
distrust
exists
with
public
agency
Implemented
work
is
“imposed”
and
does
not
have
any
local
level
parPcipaPon
Working
relaPons
between
GO
(BWDB)
and
NGOs
is
not
conducive
to
cooperaPon
LGED
is
widely
appreciated
Calls
for
strengthening
insPtuPonal
capacity
Opinion
–
on
government
organizaPon
4.
Stakeholder

16. • Humanitarian
assistance
is
inadequate
and
is
not
free
from
bad
pracPces
• Poor
governance
results
in
parPal
implementaPon
requiring
same
thing
to
be
addressed
Pme
and
again
(both
GO
and
NGO)
• Some
concerned
(GO,
NGO,
INGO,
PoliPcians,
local
influenPal
elites)
consider
water
logging
as
a
business
-­‐
desire
to
keep
the
problem
alive
!
• Each
blame
the
other
• Overall,
coordinaPon
is
lacking
=>
stakeholder
opinion
–
on
other
actors

17. Local Press Highlights on Water logging
May-­‐September
2014
Weak
governance
in
Water
Management
works
Poor
Performance
of
Public
agency
in
water
management
Land
grabbing
of
local
‘influenPal-­‐blocking
drainage
Conflicts
of
brackish
water
shrimp
and
paddy
Public
protest
of
forced
saline
water
into
crop
field
Peoples
fear
of
water
logging
and
demand
for
river
work

18. 0
50000
100000
150000
200000
250000
300000
350000
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Sidre
Aila
Water
Logging
Aman
ProducPon
in
Satkhira,
MT
Produc,on trend

19. 0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
BAGDA
GOLDA
Total
Total
Year,
2001-­‐2014
Sidre
Aila
Shrimp/Prawn
ProducPon,
Satkhira
Water
Logging

20. 0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
80000
90000
2001-­‐2002
2006-­‐2007
2011-­‐2012
Aquaculture
acPviPes
in
Satkhira
Area
Ha
ProducPon
MT

21. 5. Some Recommenda,ons to Realize
Opportunity

22. Physical/environmental
–
improving
drainage
i)
Address
encroachment
on
natural
drainage,
mobilising
public
opinion
and
incenPves
to
restore
drainage
ii)
Dredging
&
TRM
iii)
RehabilitaPon
and
co-­‐management
of
degraded
areas
iv)
Be.er
planning
and
execuPon
of
infrastructure
v)
Be.er
management
of
aquaculture
to
permit
drainage

23. InsPtuPonal
–
Strengthening
is
needed
i)
Strengthen
district
government
setup
–
improve
collaboraPon
among
agencies
ii)
Coordinate
at
basin
level
across
mulPple
disciplines
–insPtuPonal
set
up-­‐
criPcal
for
complex
development
process
iii)
Promote
innovaPve
farmers’
associaPons
for
NRM,
market
access,
etc-­‐
community
based
approach
iv)
Work
to
establish
a
maintenance
culture,
with
local
government
ownership
(new
funding
for
running
costs)-­‐
linking
with
LG
with
innovaPve
funding
arrangement

24. BeQer Coping with more Water based Livelihood
i)
Create
a
“centre
of
excellence”
for
adapPve
research
on
issues
of
the
SWB-­‐
local
soluPons
for
climate
smart
producPon
system
&
livelihood,
NRM,
RNF
ii)
Guidelines
for
improved
aquaculture-­‐improve
yield,
allow
integrated
farming,
food
safety
&
good
governance
iii)
Promote
integrated
producPon
to
miPgate
climate
risk-­‐
PromoPng
resilience
with
producPon
technologies
&
diversifying.
Addressing
climate
smart
agriculture-­‐floaPng
beds,
raised
bed,
dyke
culture,
pen
culture
etc.
iv)–
Study
bio-­‐physical
&
Socioeconomic
situaPons-­‐
zoning
with
incenPves
instruments
to
encourage
targeted
investment

25. • Technologies
exist
-­‐need
adaptaPon
&
scaling
up
(Res,
extension-­‐educaPon-­‐market)
• Use
of
silt
for
brick
fields
by
the
Pdal
rivers
in
TRM
operaPon
• InnovaPve
livelihood
opPons
in
development
of
SWB
(non
food/
for
landless)
–
inclusion
of
“hard
core”
vulnerable
• Investments
to
improve
housing
and
shelter
• Non-­‐tradiPonal
aquaPc
product-­‐export
market
(Crab,
fish
scale
etc.)

26. Thank you