Delta in danger: Is Bangladesh prepared for disruptions in river flow?
As upstream countries tighten control over transboundary rivers, Bangladesh faces an urgent question: Can it secure its water future amid shrinking flows, stalled treaties, and rising climate pressures?
In Bangladesh, waterscapes are crucial for promoting agriculture, preserving biodiversity, and maintaining livelihoods. As regional geopolitics change and upstream interventions jeopardise their flow, worries about the future of these essential international water channels are growing. South Asia has intensified transboundary water sharing discussions as upstream nations build dams, barrages, and diversion systems to combat climate variability and growing domestic water demands. Bangladesh, which depends on more than 50 transboundary rivers, will be significantly impacted.
A case study of the Teesta River
The difficulties Bangladesh faces are best illustrated by the Teesta River. Its flow has significantly decreased during dry seasons, despite once being a vital water source for northern regions. Communities are forced to look for alternate water sources due to this reduced availability, which endangers fish populations and puts agriculture at risk. A solution is still elusive despite ongoing attempts to establish a permanent water-sharing treaty through bilateral negotiations, underscoring the complexity of these talks.
Experts caution that the Teesta River's plight may be just the beginning. The long-term water security of the entire region is at stake, as changing water management techniques driven by population growth, industrialisation, and climate change threaten other transboundary rivers like the Brahmaputra and the Ganges.
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Bangladesh's reliance on water
Because 92% of Bangladesh's river water comes from neighbouring countries, its geographic location makes it especially susceptible to water-related problems. Because of this dependence, decisions made upstream, often without sufficient transparency or regional coordination, have an immediate effect on the lives of Bangladeshi citizens. A well-known hydrologist and climate change activist, Dr Monirul Qader Mirza, stresses the importance of managing shared water resources cooperatively to guarantee that all stakeholders' rights and needs are respected.
Water level fluctuations can have a wide range of effects: fisheries may decline, endangering food security and rural livelihoods; wetlands and ecosystems dependent on these rivers may experience reductions, endangering biodiversity; urban water supplies may become increasingly uncertain, particularly during dry seasons; and agriculture, which is essential to the economy, may suffer from inadequate irrigation.
Several water-related stakeholders and metropolitan city authorities have recently started working to protect and conserve water resources. These actions, however, are not enough to address regional and local needs. In many cases, anticipated actions are emphasised, but reality varies.
Evaluating our readiness
The question that looms large: Is Bangladesh equipped to confront these challenges head-on? While there has been some progress, experts and local leaders agree that a more concerted effort is needed. Despite advancements in water resource planning, significant gaps remain in the establishment of long-term resilience plans. Dr. Ahsan Uddin Ahmed, a climate policy specialist, underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive national framework that integrates environmental sustainability, local adaptive practices, and regional diplomacy.
Rather than proactively addressing crises, adaptation efforts in rural areas frequently respond to them. While urban planners deal with mounting strain on water supply systems, farmers may have to switch crops or abandon fields that aren't producing. In addition, there is a lack of funding for transboundary water issue monitoring and uneven institutional coordination across ministries.
The demand for water justice
Establishing fair water-sharing agreements, thorough basin planning, openness in data management, and cooperative management of river systems are all examples of the renewed emphasis on regional water justice that civil society calls for. Since "water transcends borders," environmental activist Shamima Akhter calls for regional unity to guarantee a just future for everyone, especially Bangladesh's most vulnerable communities.
Charting a course for the future
Water management is one of Bangladesh's most significant problems, but many preventive steps can be taken. One crucial tactic is promoting an integrated landscape-based approach (LBA) for water resource management, which emphasises a transboundary perspective by using social-cultural practices derived from traditional knowledge. This involves building large water reservoirs to capture floodwater and rainfall, followed by surveys to assess groundwater recharge and water supply, prioritising social cohesion.
Reviving traditional methods like building ponds and Dighis, which offer hydrological connectivity and other socioeconomic advantages, is one way to improve local resilience. Innovative techniques like underground water recharge and rainwater harvesting should also be encouraged locally or individually. To facilitate data sharing and river flow monitoring, it is also critical to strengthen diplomatic negotiations through regional partnerships and evidence-based advocacy. Working with upstream nations can ensure transparency and efficient management of shared water resources. Long-term urban and peri-urban development adopts a water-sensitive approach, which must be integrated into decision-making processes and urban planning policies.
Global best practices
Bangladesh can address the water crisis and lessen potential threats by implementing international best practices:
Thailand: To prevent urban flooding and provide a regional water supply, the Monkey Cheek Project (Kaem Ling) temporarily stores excess rainfall in sizable reservoirs or urban basins.
Indonesia: The Kampung Iklim (Climate Village Program) emphasises groundwater recharge projects, flood retention zones in informal settlements, green infrastructure, and rainwater ponds constructed by the community.
India: To enhance irrigation, flood control, groundwater recharge, agriculture, and rural livelihoods, Telangana's Mission Kakatiya program seeks to restore traditional village tanks and reservoirs, or cheruvus.
Vietnam: By establishing areas to facilitate floating rice farming, fish farming, and silt deposition, the Flood-Based Livelihoods project in the Mekong Delta takes advantage of seasonal flooding.
China: By implementing the Sponge Cities Programme, cities can absorb, store, and reuse rainwater through wetlands, green roofs, and permeable pavements, lowering the risk of flooding and enhancing water quality and urban cooling.
Australia: By using Water-Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) Australia is improving the peri-urban water crisis through multiple benefits including water conservation, stormwater quality improvement, flood control, landscape amenity and a healthy living environment.
Conclusion
Whether we are ready goes beyond water management to include more general concerns about sustainability, survival, and sovereignty. Bangladesh must address these issues with cooperation, strategic vision, and solidarity as the dynamics of regional water politics continue to change. By doing this, the nation can successfully negotiate water management challenges and guarantee a sustainable future for its people and the ecosystems that support them.
Md Mustiafiz Al Mamun is currently pursuing a PhD in Landscape Architecture at TU Delft in the Netherlands. He is also an Associate Professor at the Department of Architecture at CUET.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.
