In the absence of crucial water management services, communities living in the polders of Bangladesh’s porous coastline face serious consequences, significantly impacting the livelihoods and food security of over eight million people.
Polders are large water catchments protected by dikes and gates. Initially built between the 1960s and 1990s to prevent flooding, they are now vital for agriculture in southern Bangladesh, a climate change hotspot spanning over 1.2 million hectares of coastal land. Currently, there are 139 polders enclosed by embankments with a total length of nearly 6,000 km.
A recent study reveals that the operational capacity of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), responsible for constructing and maintaining the polders, has declined over the years.
As a result, the polders face numerous challenges related to water management, infrastructure, institutional inefficiencies, and governance. These issues affect millions living in the coastal zone, which lies within 10 meters above sea level, and exacerbate problems such as tidal flooding, saltwater intrusion, and seasonal droughts.
The study finds that communities no longer receive the same level of support from the BWDB as they did before the termination of the Blue Gold program in 2021. Between 2013 and 2021, the governments of Bangladesh and the Netherlands invested over Tk800 crore in the Blue Gold program, aiming to establish and empower community organizations for sustainable water management in the polder zones.
An International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)-led study conducted in two polders in Barguna and Khulna highlights that BWDB struggles to fulfill its commitment to support local water management organizations due to a lack of manpower.
“Conflicting priorities among local stakeholders have led to inconsistent management of sluice gates, affecting water availability for farming. Many rivers and canals are leased for fish farming, often causing conflicts with agricultural needs. These leases are managed by administrative authorities with little involvement in water management or agricultural production, worsening the situation,” the study notes.
Additionally, sluice gate management varies across areas, leading to inefficiencies. Consequently, farmers often rely on local leadership for solutions, as there is no comprehensive institutional framework to address these issues. This mismanagement severely hampers agricultural development, with crops frequently damaged by waterlogging, insufficient irrigation, or saline water intrusion, according to the study conducted under the CGIAR Asian Mega-Delta Program.
Headquartered in Montpellier, France, CGIAR is the world’s largest global agricultural innovation network. Its Initiative on Asian Mega-Deltas (AMD) aims to create resilient, inclusive, and productive deltas that maintain socio-ecological integrity, adapt to climate and other stressors, and support human prosperity and well-being.
A policy directive is now urgently needed to assure people living in the polders that their concerns will be addressed by specific government agencies.
The IRRI study suggests that while the BWDB should continue its specialized role in maintaining polder infrastructure, the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), with its strong local presence and mandate for agricultural development, should take the lead. Agriculture remains the primary livelihood source in most polders.
According to an IRRI policy brief, despite many advancements, coastal polders have failed to deliver expected outcomes, as effective water management faces multiple challenges.
“Infrastructure maintenance remains inconsistent because water management organizations, formed under various government projects, do not function properly. Conflicts between farmers and other stakeholders are common, and the responsible authorities are unable to support the operation and maintenance of infrastructure or address stakeholder concerns,” the brief notes.
The study finds that after the foreign-aided project ended, only one water management group (WMG) remains active out of 46 surveyed in the two polders studied by IRRI.
Presenting the findings at a national policy dialogue last week, Dr Ahmad Salahuddin, a senior associate scientist at IRRI Bangladesh, said: “BWDB should focus on maintaining major water infrastructure, while DAE should support effective water management at the farm level.”
He emphasized that local communities should have access to and rights over leasable water bodies and khals, as conflicts often arise from leasing these crucial resources for fish farming at the expense of water needed for crop production.
Despite their critical roles in agriculture and fisheries, the DAE and the Department of Fisheries (DoF) have no authority or control over water management decisions, Dr Salahuddin pointed out.
He stressed the urgent need for a policy directive to designate a lead agency for water management and to support local water management organizations involving the polder communities.
Key speakers at the national policy dialogue, including Dr Nazmun Nahar Karim (Executive Chairman, BARC), Dr Humnath Bhandari (IRRI Representative to Bangladesh), Md Zohirul Islam (Additional Director General, BWDB), and Md Rafiqul Islam (Additional Director, DAE Khulna), highlighted the urgency for institutional reforms, resource allocation, and a participatory approach. They called for empowering community-driven water management organizations.
Representatives from government agencies, research institutions, water management groups, and local stakeholders identified pressing issues, including the poor functioning of water management groups due to inadequate resources and guidance, lack of inter-agency coordination between BWDB, DAE, DoF, and others, and the need to empower farmers and local stakeholders for sustainable water and agricultural management.