Community Water Stories Bangladesh

Information courtesy of Ashraf-ul-Alam Tutu

(Coastal Development Partnership)

Background

An agricultural revolution began in Bangladesh in the 1960's. The government of East Pakista n (who controlled the region at the time) started the Coastal Embankment Project in an effort to reclaim coastal lands for agricultural development in the Ganges Delta region. This enabled farmers to produce up to 3 crops of rice per year. Agriculture flourished until the early 1980's when water logging in the region began. Water logging occurs when there is not enough drainage in the area for water to flow. By 1990, water logging had spread to 100,600 hectares of land. In addition to farming problems, there are also issues with impure drinking water, particularly water with high salinity. Local people either collected their own water from ponds or bought it from water carriers. The water quality in both cases was substandard, so a local NGO called Runner began working on ways to deliver clean drinking water.

Problems in region

The Coastal Embankment Project was able to reclaim submerged land for farming in Bangladesh, but the project did not provide adequate drainage for water to escape. During heavy rainfall from June to September, Bangladesh receives 1.75-1.85 meters of rain. During rainy season, river water ranges from fresh to slightly brackish. But during dry seasons, water is typically salty. In 1982, Bangladesh experienced tidal flooding over the embankments, causing river drainages to become congested. Monsoons also contributed a great deal to flooding. Tidal flooding carried salinity further inland, and riverbeds rose and deposited silt across the farmland. Crops failed as a result of flooding, silt deposits, and high salinity.

The Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) is in charge of dealing with water issues, but the people did not typically favor their proposals. The BWDB developed various proposals such as the Coastal Embankment Rehabilitation Project (CERP) and the Khulna Jessore Drainage Rehabilitation Project (KJDRP) but these proposals were met with a great deal of resistance because they blocked waterways, and did not alleviate the problem of water logging.

Contaminated drinking water had also become a major issue. Most of the metropolitan areas in Bangladesh could not provide sufficient drinking water to even half of their population. Much of the population buys water from water carriers, but even the quality of this water is in question. The need for purification systems led Habibur Rahman, Executive Director of Runner, to come up with a way to purify water and make it inexpensive.

Efforts being made to solve the problem

Traditional methods seem to be the answer in dealing with water logging. Many farmers argued that using traditional methods to regulate water intake is the only way to successfully deal with the problem. The BWDB refused to listen. Finally in September 1990, thousand of people gathered in protest at one of the embankments near the Hamkura river and proceeded to cut it in 4 places allowing water to pass through. Within a year, an area of over 900 hectares of land were raised above tidal level. Rice was able to be cultivated the following year. The Hamkura river, which had shrunken to a trickle, became 200 meters wide.

A NGO called Uttaran took control of providing relief to farmers in the area. They also provided them with a voice, and the initiative to take control of the situation. Uttaran launched a heavy media campaign against the KJDRP plan and proposed their Tidal River Management (TRM) concept where embankments are cut to alleviate waterlogging. This plan was based on traditional methods advocated by much of the farming population. The BWDB agreed to this plan on a trial basis, and the plan has been very successful.

The positive impacts of the TRM concept have convinced the BWDB to adopt Uttaran's ideas as a viable alternative in dealing with waterlogging. The project has worked for over 12 years, and reclaimed lands remain cultivable and show no signs of deterioration.

As for the issue of drinking water, Habibur Rahman was able to develop a cost efficient water filtering and purifying system near a freshwater pond in his small town. This system supplied pure water to the townspeople, with the price of the water being comparable to that of what water carriers were providing. Rahman suggested the idea to quite a few NGOs and was able to secure grants for this project and working on various other water projects.

International Involvement

Much of the success of each of these programs can be attested to the efforts of local NGOs in Bangladesh. The Tidal River Management plan would have never been successful without the efforts of Uttaran and other local NGOs. The water filtering and purification system developed by Runner may help many other communities worldwide in dealing with water issues. The involvement of NGOs in solving these problems has led to a tri-nation Joint River Commission made up of government and NGO officials. The role of the commission is to take appropriate measures for optimum utilization of the waters of the Ganges, including sharing ideas and technological innovations.