River erosion is one of the more frequent, yet lesser known, dangers that rural Bangladeshis have to deal with. It was less than a month ago when 25-30 houses, croplands, and other establishments were washed away due to erosion in areas along the Teesta River in Aditmari upazila, Lalmonirhat forcing many families to vacate and subsist without shelter.
The World Bank’s recent approval for $102 million financing for our country to improve riverbank protection with regards to the areas surrounding the River Jamuna, to that end, is more than welcome news. What’s more is that the fund also seeks to improve navigability of the river in an effort to prevent people from being displaced.
The human and economic toll of river erosion is undeniably high, especially considering our nation’s riverine nature. Whenever disaster strikes the government needs to formulate plans for both immediate action and long-term strategies to mitigate its impact.
We need early warning systems which deal with the kind of precision that would enable those living in embankments and areas surrounding rivers to vacate in a way that mitigates the impacts. This is to say nothing of its impact on agriculture, as arable lands, essential for crop cultivation, are swallowed by the advancing waters, resulting in a significant loss to our hard-working farmers.
The World Bank’s financing, then, must be used to the fullest extent in reaching its goals so that the efforts, if successful, can be used as a model for the rest of the nation as well.
We have gone down this river enough times.