Plans underway to reclaim land in coastal areas: PM

http://www.theindependent-bd.com/details.php?nid=113094

Plans underway to reclaim land in coastal areas: PM
BSS, DHAKA

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said plans are underway to reclaim land along the coastal belt.

Besides, we would carry out capital dredging in the major rivers so that we can utilise every inch of land.

“We are planning to reclaim land at the coast and carry out capital dredging to overcome the scarcity of land,” she said at the Jatiya Sangsad while responding to a question from Mainuddin Khan Badal, a JSD lawmaker from Chittagong.

Sheikh Hasina, during the Prime Minister’s question-answer hour, said the scarcity of land has an impact on food production and the government has been planning to promote new variety of rice tolerant to salinity in the coastal areas.

She said the Awami League government had spent Tk 12 crore to develop new variety of saline tolerant rice, but the achievement was jeopardised due to negligence by the past government.

“Steps would be taken again to develop such varieties of rice through research to use every inch of land for food production,” the Prime Minister said adding khas lands would also be distributed among the landless people to promote food production.

She said the pragmatic policies of the Awami League government between 1996 and 2001 had led the country towards self sufficiency, which marked a sharp rise of cereal production 2.7 crore metric tonnes from only 1.9 crore MT.

The distribution of khas lands among 1.5 lakh landless has contributed positively to the food production, she said adding the landless this time would not only be given lands, but also be inspired with fertiliser and seeds in subsidised rates along with soft loans.

Bangladesh growing in size by 12.5 sq miles a year

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2008/07/31/news0176.htm

Bangladesh growing in size by 12.5 sq miles a year

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh is increasing in size contradicting forecasts that the parts of the country will disappear under water due to global warming.

Scientists at the Centre for Environment and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS) say that the country’s landmass has increased by 20 square kilometres (12.5 square miles) annually.

They said that they have studied 32 years of satellite images and found that the country’s landmass has increased by 20 square kilometres annually during that time.

Data shows that the sediment travelling down the Ganges and the Brahmaputra rivers from the Himalayan watershed are creating new land as they wash into the Bay of Bengal, they said.

Mominul Haque Sarker, Head of the department at the CEGIS that looks at boundary changes, said a billion tonnes of sediment that the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and 200 other rivers bring from the Himalayas each year before crossing Bangladesh had caused the landmass to increase.

About a third of this sediment, he said, makes it into the Bay of Bengal, where new territory is forming, he said.

Sarkar said that in the next 50 years this could add up to the country gaining 1,000 square kilometres.

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has predicted that Bangladesh, criss-crossed by a network of more than 200 rivers, will lose 17 per cent of its land by 2050 because of rising sea levels due to global warming.

The Nobel Peace Prize-winning panel says 20 million Bangladeshis will become environmental refugees by 2050 and the country will lose some 30 percent of its food production.

Director of the US-based NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, professor James Hansen, paints an even grimmer picture, predicting the entire country could be under water by the end of the century.

But Sarker said that while rising sea levels and river erosion were both claiming land in Bangladesh, many climate experts had failed to take into account new land being formed from the river sediment.

“Satellite images dating back to 1973 and old maps earlier than that show some 1,000 square kilometres of land have risen from the sea,” Sarker said.

“A rise in sea level will offset this and slow the gains made by new territories, but there will still be an increase in land. We think that in the next 50 years we may get another 1,000 square kilometres of land.”

Mahfuzur Rahman, Head of Bangladesh Water Development Board’s Coastal Study and Survey Department, has also been analysing the buildup of land on the coast.

He said findings by the IPCC and other climate change scientists were too general and did not explore the benefits of land accretion.

“For almost a decade we have heard experts saying Bangladesh will be under water, but so far our data has shown nothing like this,” he said.

“Natural accretion has been going on here for hundreds of years along the estuaries and all our models show it will go on for decades or centuries into the future.”

Dams built along the country’s southern coast in the 1950s and 1960s had helped reclaim a lot of land and he believed with the use of new technology, Bangladesh could speed up the accretion process, he said.

“The land Bangladesh has lost so far has been caused by river erosion, which has always happened in this country. Natural accretion due to sedimentation and dams have more than compensated this loss,” Rahman said.

Bangladesh has built a series of dykes to prevent flooding.

“If we build more dams using superior technology, we may be able to reclaim 4,000 to 5,000 square kilometres in the near future,” Rahman said.

Achieving food security and becoming food surplus

http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=41001

Achieving food security and becoming food surplus
Shahidur Rahman Khan

DEDICATED planning and timely supports can make Bangladesh food-surplus and ensure food security for its population. This year’s net food grain shortage is only 0.1 mil. ton against a total demand of 26 mil. tons (despite 1.8 mil. tons standing crops damage by back-to-back floods and Sidr). Bangladesh produced 24.3 mil. tons of food grains in 1999-2000 matching the requirements of the then 130 mil. population and since then it is on the fringe of self-sufficiency. Presently, Bangladesh has 8.29 mil. ha. of cultivable land and about 145.6 mil. population. Each year, the country is loosing about 1 percent of its cultivable lands to non-agricultural uses while its popualtion is increasing by about 2 mil. A yearly incremental production of 0.35 mil. ton in addition to 2 mil. tons average deficit is required for food grains self-sufficiency.

World’s exportable rice has already been advanced booked upto 2010 by now. World rice price benchmark the Thai variety has risen to 3 times its price of January 2007. Recent world-wide surges in food price are themselves part of a wider range of commodity price hike linking prices of petroleum products, energy, industrial raw materials, food grains and feed stuff. UN World Food Report says that present world food prices are 10 years’ high having no chance of appreciable reduction in, at least, within next 10 years. FAO, WFP, IRRI, WB, IFAD, ADB etc. are all unanimous about continuation of high prices in the coming years. The flip side of high price is that surplus producers will get lucrative payments.

‘Net Food Importing Low Income Countries (NFILICs) have to go for long term strategy aimed at maximising food production to protect themselves from unceraitanity of unpredictable volatile external markets. An IFRI and John Hopkins University study of 2000 found that self-sufficiency in rice for Bangladesh is necessary not only to meet world market instability, but also for its comparative advantages in production. Bangladesh, the world’s 4th largest rice producer, has potentials and capabilities to attain sustainable food security and even become net rice exporter.

Food surplus in short-term
Bangladesh has to produce at least 31 mil. tons of food grains in its 7.88 mil. ha. of cultivable land (available at that time), for a projected population of 156 million to attain food-surplus in a short-term of 5 years. This is not an unachievable target, since addition of the lost 1.8 mil. tons would have pushed this year’s production to 44 mil. tons. Some of the attainments necessary for being food-surplus in short-term are:-

* Proper planning and effective coordinated implementation: ‘Grow More Food’ campaign, ‘Green Revolution’, ‘Medium Term Food Production Plan (MTFPP)’, ‘Accelerated Rice Production Programme (ARPP)’ and various national 5-year plans have consistently facilitated and enthused the farmers to grow more food crops. This resulted in higher growths of 1990s and early 2000s. Coordinated implementation of a farmer friendly long-term plan of government is a pre-requisite for self-sufficiency.

* Product price stabilisation and agricultural credit: Drastic fall in immediately post-harvest price is a common local happening. 85 percent of the farmers have to sell immediate on harvest (even sell in advance) for debt payment or other urgent necessity. Ensuring reasonable post-product price and keeping price-variation within rational limits will hold farmers’ interest in food crops. Formation of “Producers’ Food Bank” as is being experimented in India, is worth consideration.

* Financial constraint in procuring inputs is an impediment for majority of farmers: Availability of pre-product agricultural loan will boost production. Disbursement and recovery of loan, with government/private funding, can be made through “farmers’ cooperatives” in a similar system as PKSF’s loans to NGOs. Availability of pre-production credit and post-production reasonable price can do away with agricultural subsidies and their related maladies.

* Population control: Lax population growth is unwarranted in Bangladesh because of limited land and other resource bases. 1974 population growth rate of 2.48 has come down to 1.42 at present. Jobs for rural women, extensive motivation and easy availability of family planning materials at grassroots level will effectively assist in bringing down the growth rate.

* Food habit change: Nation-wide substituting one meal of rice with bread (made of 50 percent wheat/maize flour and 50 percent meshed patato) will reduce our total food grains requirement by at least 15 percent and optimise use of home grown potatoes. Food habit change motivation will need active support of media, civil society and government. Japanese per capita/year consumption of 155 160 kg of rice in mid-50s has already come down to 60 kg at present.

* Contract farming: Myanmar has offered to lease out to Bangladesh at least 50,000 acres of land for rice cultivation for a period of at least 10 years. 50,000 acres will add at least 60,000 tons of food grains to national inventory. China and Thailand are already engaged in contract farming there.

* Cultivation of fallow lands: Fallow lands in Bangladesh are either lying fallow in between two crops or remaining vacant for a year or more. About 75,000 ha. lying fallow after an Aman harvest in Rajshahi region is capable of producing additional 0.2 mil. tons of wheat with timely irrigation. 737,363 ha. was lying fallow for a year or more against a net cropped area of 7.97 mil. ha. in 2005. Even raising a single crop there would have increased total national production by at least 9 percent.

* Improvement in seed quality and production techniques; dissemination of information and stable supply of inputs: Wide dissemination of updated and validated information on quality seeds, production techniques, balanced fertiliser use, irrigation, harvesting, storage, marketing etc. to grassroots level augments agricultural growth. Average yeild of 1.5 tons/ha. of late 70s has come up to more than 3 tons/ha. A Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD) experiment has more than doubled per ha. rice production, with timely provision of proper inputs alone. Raising the average rate of production to 4 tons/ha. to achieve food-surplus is not unattainable. According to Dr. Mahabub Hossain, only ensuring availabilty of good HYVseeds will increase local total food grains production by 10 percent.

* Efficient post-production crop management: Post-harvest loss in Bangladesh, amounting to 30 percent – 40 percent of production, is very high. 50% savings in post-harvest loss by efficient management of production and storage alone can make Bangladesh a food-surplus country.

Bangladesh can immediately become surplus in food grains by accomplishing any one of the factors like (i) cultivation of all fallow lands; or (ii) improvement in seed quality and production techniques, stable and timely supply of inputs; or (iii) efficient post-production crop management. Nation-wide food habit change will accrue sufficient food-surplus and make Bangladesh a net rice exporter.

Food security in medium-term
Though availability is a necessary pre-requisite, mere availability may not ensure food security for all, as access is also related to economic capability. Individual food security, cumulatively leading to national food security is the choicest option in this regard. To achieve food security in a medium-term of say 15 years, Bangladesh has to produce at least 35 mil. tons of food grains in the 7.05 mil. ha. of cultivable land available at that time, for a projected population of 176.6 million. The factors mentioned before can provide food-surplus in a short-term but for long-term food security, cultivable lands available at that time will simply be not enough. According to Prof Abdul Bayes, land is the only source of food security at household and at national level.

Much of the land-mass of Bangladesh is created by deposition of GangesBrhmaputraMeghna (GBM) sediments and the normal delta development is still going on. Retaining the yearly passing 2.4 billion tons GBM sediments would give rise to 200 sq. km of new lands. Natural depositions are random, slow and fragile. Partial sediment retainment is neither technically difficult nor economically prohibitive. Land reclamations in Bangladesh require less cost-intensive interventions. Artificial interventions can make land reclamation sustainable by accelerating deposition at desired places and holding them there. New jobs, food security and rice export, for Bangladesh in the coming decades, are all linked toghether to adequate cultivable lands and land reclamation can ensure that.

BWDB’s Land Raclamation Project, Meghna Estuary Studies etc. were preparatory works for long-term land reclamation activities. More than 1000 sq. km of lands have been reclaimed by hands-on activities like Meghna Cross Dams 1 and 2 , Muhuri Closure Dam etc. A ‘BWDB Task Force’ recommended erection of 19 priority cross dams to assist and accelerate Meghna Estuary’s natural land development activities. Present Meghna Estuary and its future vision are shown in Figures 1 and 2 respectively. ‘The Royal Netherlands Government’, ‘Global Environment Facilities (GEF)’, ‘Cool Earth’ partnership of Japan, UN’s ‘Least Developed Countries Fund’ and ‘Special Climate Change Fund’, JBIC, JICA, DFID, WB, ADB etc. are some of the sources of support funding.

Estuary Development Programme (EDP) initiated by BWDB in March’07, with Dutch grant funding, is a logical follow up of land reclamation activities in Meghna Estuary. The project limped for one year and since then is passing through a scaled down phase, for circustances beyond its control. Invigorating the EDP will put in motion the process of reclamation of hundreds of sq. kms of new lands from sea and push the national boundary further south resulting in a geographically bigger Bangladesh and expanding the apparently finite land resource base. The process will go on ensuring food security, in the coming decades, for millions of Bangladeshis.

Bangladesh can outpace sea level rise by trapping silt in low-lying areas

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2008/06/04/news0433.htm

Bangladesh can outpace sea level rise by trapping silt in low-lying areas

Mrs. Bea Ten Tusscher

Bangladesh and The Netherlands have had a long and fruitful relationship. We were among the first nations to recognise Bangladesh after independence. And we were among the first to provide support for Bangladesh’s development, starting in 1975. Since that time we have been active partners, working together on a variety of projects and programmes.

During my travels in this beautiful country I have seen that much has been achieved in Bangladesh since independence. Major infrastructure has been built: roads, bridges, dykes. The school system has been developed, and so has health care. A successful garment manufacturing industry has come up. And there are many more achievements.

But I have also seen that the benefits of these developments are not reaching everyone in Bangladesh equally. There are haves, and have nots. And there are some fundamental changes needed in order to improve this situation. At present, the Bangladesh-Netherlands development cooperation programme focuses on three areas: education, health, and water management.

We annually provide grants to the amount of some 65 million Euros (650 Crore Taka).

Here, I would like to focus on one of these development themes in particular: water.

Water is crucial for Bangladesh: it feeds crops, provides transportation and sustains the drinking water needs of the population. But water is also a threat. Floods, droughts, storm surges, water logging, river erosion. These are some of the threats that Bangladesh faces. And the year 2007 unfortunately really brought home that message. Again.

The Netherlands faces the same threats. And that is, I think, why we have worked so well together: because we understand each other’s problems. Allow me to demonstrate this with some examples. Firstly, participatory water management. Some 450 years ago the principle of participatory water manageluent was established in The Netherlands. The Government of that time realised that it could never effectively operate and maintain the thousands of kilometers of dykes, canals, and sluices that had been constructed to form our polders. Participatory ‘Waterboards’ were formed in which people collectively decided on the actions to be taken to improve water management. Our agricultural production flourished, and the people were safe from floods.

Over the last 15 years the same principle has gradually been introduced into Bangladesh. First into policies. Then into guidelines. Now into implementation – by the Bangladesh Water Development Board, and by the Local Government Engineering Department in their water development projects.

In Participatory Water Management local communities are helped to organise themselves into ‘Water Management Organisations’. These are modelled on their Dutch examples, which by the way, continue to function until this day!

The results are very impressive:

better operation and maintenance of dykes, sluices, regulators – 20-300/0 higher

-production of crops

-more production of fish

better protection against floods and cyclonic water surges.

Those are the visible results. But perhaps even more important are the non-visible results: true meritocracy at grassroots level

-active participation of women in decision making processes

-improvement of the status of women in society

-empowerment of local communities

-reduced power of the’ elites’

and a more accountable government.

This was possible, because in participatory water management everyone has an equal say, an equal vote. And this equality is changing the basics of Bangladeshi society at the grassroots.

Let me give you an example of this. Recently, during a field visit, I met a woman who had been working on the repair of the embankment which surrounds her polder. She invited me into her house. As we entered, she turned to her husband and said: ‘Dear, can you please prepare a cup of tea for our guest?’.

Imagine this. The lady was asking her husband to serve the tea to their guest. She obviously felt so empowered and equal to him that she could ask him to do this. In rural Bangladesh. And this as a direct result of her participation in the water management organisation of her area.

My second example of the fruitful collaboration between Bangladesh and The Netherlands is in coastal zone development.

For the last 12 years we have supported the Char Development and Settlement Project in the area near Noakhali. Here new land is slowly being formed by the deposition of sand and silt in the Meghna estuary.

The new land needs infrastructure, roads, bridges, water supply. Its people need help to improve agriculture. But above all, the people need security: embankments, cyclone shelters, and also: security of tenure. Under the CDSP project land title deeds (‘khatians’) are being handed to settlers. For the first time in Bangladesh, the names on those khatians are those of women.

The CDSP project has been succesful because of a good collaboration and cooperation between no less than 6 different government line agencies and, in addition, 5 NGOs. This again is a style which has been imported from The Netherlands. We call this the ‘polder model’: government and civil society working together, mutually responsible, mutually accountable. My third example. The collaboration between Bangladesh and The Netherlands on water management has been successful. But it has not been exhaustive. We have started to work together on yet another main challenge facing Bangladesh, namely River Erosion.

Each year some 10,000 hectares of land are swallowed by the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna. In The Netherlands we have ‘trained’ our rivers to prevent this. We have constructed a variety of infrastructure works to check the spread of the rivers, but we have also learned that you cannot only fight against nature. We have experienced that in order to be most successful you must ‘Build with Nature’. And that principle can also be applied to Bangladesh.

This approach, Building with Nature, has huge potential for river management, as well as for the formation of new land, of new polders. An example: In the 1960’s two crossdams were constructed near Noakhali. Today, these dams have led to the creation of over 100,000 hectares of new land. If we apply the principles of Building with Nature actively and consistently, Bangladesh can gain new land every year. By harnessing the sediments carried by the rivers, Bangladesh can outpace sea-level rise.

I have already spoken so much, it is time for me to finish. But not before I share some last important ideas with you.

We can conclude that Bangladesh needs better water management. In order to do so, the country needs stronger planning and implementation agencies. But both WARPO and BWDB are struggling due to lack of manpower, and lack of resources. This needs to be addressed. Food Security and Climate Change are staring us in the face. Urgent actions are required. At present the eyes of the world are on Bangladesh and how it deals with these challenges. This attention should be utilised to acquire financing for a comprehensive, 20-30 year development vision for the water sector in Bangladesh. Both domestic and donor financing. In a comprehensive way, and not by individual stand alone projects.

In The Netherlands, it took the storm surge of 1953 in which almost 2000 people lost their lives, to swing public and political opinion to adopt the so-called ‘Delta-plan’. Consecutive governments made major investments in rivers, sea embankments and environmental safeguards. Only by doing this we were able to lay the foundation for sustainable economic development. Of our agriculture. Of our industries. And of our environment. Bangladesh’s leaders also need to rallye together and agree on such a Plan. The Plan will be implemented over a period of decades. This means that consecutive governments must commit to it. This also means that the political parties of today must commit to the principle of it. Visionary parties are needed, which think beyond typical party boundaries, and which deliver results. Because such parties can count on the continued support of the people.

(Mrs. Bea Ten Tusscher, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Bangladesh delivered the speech on June 03, 2008 at the National Press Club during a meet the press programme there.)

Highway With Myanmar: Dhaka-financed works to start by next June

http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=39311

Highway With Myanmar
Dhaka-financed works to start by next June
Shamim Ashraf

The construction work of a 25-kilometre direct road between Bangladesh and Myanmar is likely to begin by the middle of next year.

The communications ministry has already started the process of selecting a consulting firm for conducting the feasibility study and making the cost estimation of the highway, which would boost trade and interaction between the peoples of the two neighbouring countries.

“We hope to start the construction works in nine months to one year,” Communications Secretary Dr Mahbubur Rahman told The Daily Star yesterday, adding that Myanmar is enthusiastic about it as well.

Apart from facilitating trade between the two countries, the road link will also open up the possibility of a greater road network between Bangladesh and China and the South-East Asian countries including Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.

The efforts for establishing a direct road link began in 1994 and finally, a deal was signed between the two countries on July 27 last year for construction of the 25-km road in the first phase.

At that time the cost was estimated by the communications ministry at Tk 195.85 crore.

Designed to start at Balukhali in Cox’s Bazar, the 2-km Bangladesh part will stretch to Gundum and then it will run 23 kilometres from Tambru up to Bawlibazar in the Rakhain State of Myanmar.

Apart from bearing the cost of the 2-km road inside the country, Bangladesh will finance construction of the 23-km road in Myanmar.

On March 10, Finance and Planning Adviser ABM Azizul Islam approved Tk 4.97 crore for a feasibility study to be implemented between April 1 and September 30 this year, sources in the communications ministry said.

Eight firms have responded after the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) invited expressions of interest for the consulting job.

By June 5, five to seven firms will be retained for pre-qualification selection. They will be issued request for proposal (RFP) by June 20 and will be asked to submit the proposals in 45 days.

“After a combined evaluation of the technical and financial bids, the ministry will select one firm and sign contract with it by September,” Tajul Islam Chowdhury, a joint secretary of communications ministry, told The Daily Star on Friday.

The feasibility study and cost estimation are expected to be finished by March next year.

Asked about the probable cost of the project, Tajul Islam said, “We have to wait to know this till the selected firm submits the estimation.”

On an average, construction of a kilometre road costs Tk 8-10 crore, he added.

The Planning Commission has asked the communications ministry to send it the design and details of the project before inviting international tenders for the construction, sources said.

After conceiving of the project in April 1994, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on April 4, 2004 and each formed two separate taskforces for technical and financial matters.

According to the alignment decided by one of the technical taskforces, a total of 130-km road needs to be constructed to connect with Myanmar national highway. Starting from Gundum in Cox’s Bazar, the highway will link the Myanmar national highway at Chatwa via Tambru-Bawlibazar.

Though Bangladesh kept on pushing Myanmar to sign a deal for beginning the construction of the road, the latter took a long time in this regard.

The sea can be tamed, lands can rise from the sea

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.info/search_index.php?page=detail_news&news_id=34496

The sea can be tamed, lands can rise from the sea

Enayet Rasul

“All the inhabitants of the world should know that the power of kings is vain and trivial, and that none is worthy the name of king but He whose command the heaven, earth and sea obey by eternal laws”

- King Canute, King of England, Denmark and Norway (11th century)

The above quote is from King Canute the strongest Viking monarch of the middle ages who founded an empire in Northern Europe. The quotation refers to the incident of how this Viking monarch of the middle ages who felt omnipotent from his sense of power and authority, was humbled from a feeling that the power of God was so much the greater and everlasting.

As the story goes, the king went to the shores of the sea and commanded the waves to roll back and not to touch his feet. When the command went unheeded and the tide sank his feet and part of the mobile throne where he sat, Canute then realized the might and majesty of the supreme Creator, Almighty God, who created the elements and before his wishes the endeavours of all earthly mortals were but futile.

Canute’s saying used to be frequently mentioned in the centuries that followed to describe how mankind was so helpless before nature which could not be tamed or controlled in the way Canute could not control the waves. But over recent centuries and from the evolution of modern man, is it relevant to think that mankind is destined to submit so helplessly to nature ? The answer must be a negative one as there are so many examples to prove that humans today indeed have powers to try and successfully conquer nature, control it to its advantage or abuse nature to its disadvantage. When there is so much concern about a large part of Bangladesh sinking into the sea in the near future, there is also the exciting possibility that the reverse thing can happen along with Bangladesh gaining rather large tracts of lands from the sea if only it applies its huge manpower and existing technologies to this end.

Regularly received satellite imageries and other tangible supporting evidences suggest that Bangladesh can receive the gift of a huge land mass from its adjoining sea. The size of this land mass, eventually, could be as big as the present size of Bangladesh or even bigger. But it will depend considerably on what the Bangladeshis themselves do– like the people of Holland did –for lands to rise from the sea and for the same to be joined to the mainland.

Unfortunately, nothing has been noted so far in the country’s annual development plans (ADPs) to the effect that the government is paying attention to this issue. No allocations have been made over the years to build dams and other structures to put a pace on the process of accretion of coastal lands. This attitude, undoubtedly, is a serious neglect of the vital national interest. Successive governments should have done all in their powers to help the land accretion process which holds out so much promise for this land hungry country. Not only doing everything locally to aid the process of land accretion and consolidation, the governments should have been proactive in seeking foreign assistance to realise the same objective.

Already, substantial territories have surfaced in the coastal areas of Bangladesh. Some of these places have completely surfaced and have human habitations on them while others remain submerged during tides to emerge with the ebbing of the tide. The latter types of accreted lands are likely to gain in elevation to be permanently joined to the mainland. Indeed, much of present day Bangladesh including the districts of Faridpur, Barisal, Noakhali, Patuakhali, etc., were formed in this manner over time.

Lands have already emerged from the sea in the coastal areas and more lands from the sea will hopefully rise in the future. But the natural process is a long one. It can be hastened and the technology for it is not so prohibitive or complex either. For Bangladesh, it involves only quickening the process of accretion by establishing structures like cross dams to speed up the rate of deposition of silt in areas that have accreted or nearly accreted. The country is likely to get a generous response from the international community in matters of fund availability and technical supports if it can show that it is really keen to accrete more lands and has put the endeavour under a systematic policy framework.

Holland is one country which has the most experience in getting lands out of the sea. It had a situation worse than Bangladesh in the sense that much of it was so low lying and below the sea level that even high tides and storms in the sea led to its severe flooding and continuing inundation. Today, the Dutch have not only solved these problems through sophisticated engineering works, they have permanently reclaimed vast stretches of lands from the sea and are keeping them dry for various uses within secure barriers or sea walls.

Bangladesh may not have to embark on projects on the same scale as were carried out in Holland because of its relatively better elevation. It can use its huge reservoir of cheap manpower to build simpler projects to get the same kind of results as were achieved in Holland. But for this purpose it needs to engage in a time-bound and result oriented framework of assistance and consultation with that country. Besides, the government of Bangladesh ought to also appeal to the international community to provide funds to it for the purpose.

The developed countries, specially the United States, are the main contributors to the greenhouse syndrome which could affect Bangladesh. Therefore, it would be only conscionable for these countries to help out Bangladesh in projects designed to secure its coastal areas and for their enlargement. Even if external aid is not forthcoming, the government can proceed with dams and other structures where these will yield almost immediate benefits in the form of lands rising from the sea on a sustainable basis. The taking up of such projects and their successful execution are quite possible for Bangladesh by mobilising its own resources and applying its own expertise.

One may say that the cyclone hazards can be serious in the coastal areas. But these hazards are not as these used to be in the past. Deaths from these cyclones in recent years have been far less in number and much less resources were destroyed from cyclones . The creation of a network of cyclone shelters and other forms of preparedness for disasters have led to such favourable developments. With the establishment of a greater number of cyclone shelters and extending the system of preparedness, there would be no reason for a far bigger number of people than at present not to be living and working safely in viable occupations in the coastal areas including the already accreted lands and the about to be accreted lands. This would only disprove predictions about the displacement of some 5.5 million people from Bangladesh’s coastal areas by 2050 from sea level rise.

Apart from greater human settlement in the coastal areas or accreted lands to ease the pressure of population, the same areas can play a far bigger role for the national economy. Tourist resorts established in the coastal islands– like in the Maldives– can be very paying in terms of foreign tourist arrivals. The same prospects are also there in many places in our coastal areas.

Shrimp has been a major item in our export trade in recent years. The coastal areas are exclusively suitable for shrimp cultivation for the export market. Extension of planned shrimp cultivation in the coastal area is possible to many times increase earnings from this sector. Not only shrimp, but sea fishes, crabs, etc., that are generally described as frozen food and exported from Bangladesh, the catches or cultivation of these can be remarkably increased in the coastal area with infrastructure developments to promote more private sector investments into such activities.

Valuable deposits of minerals exist in the sandy beaches of the coastal areas such as zircon, rutile, titanium, etc. It is quite possible to extract these minerals and earn huge amounts in foreign currency. The coastal areas are also known to have huge deposits of hydrocarbons like oil and gas. Only limited exploitation of these resources have started with the offshore drilling at Sangu for gas. But gradually, over time, these energy resources can be tapped extensively for the benefit of the country.

Bangladesh needs to be serious about land reclamation from the sea

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/search_index.php?page=detail_news&news_id=23395

Bangladesh needs to be serious about land reclamation from the sea

Mozzamel Haque

REGULARLY received satellite imageries and other tangible supporting evidences suggest that Bangladesh is about to receive the gift of a huge land mass from its adjoining sea. The size of this land mass, eventually, could be as big as the present size of Bangladesh or even bigger. But it will depend considerably on what the Bangladeshis themselves do — like the people of Holland did — to reclaim land from the sea to be joined to the mainland.

Unfortunately, non inclusion of such a project in the country’s annual development programmes (ADPs) means that the government is paying no attention to the issue. No allocations have been made over the years to build dams or other structures needed to accelerate the process of accretion of coastal land. This attitude, undoubtedly, reflects a serious neglect of the vital national interest. Successive governments should have done all in their powers to accelerate the land reclamation process which holds out so much promise for this land hungry country. They should have been proactive in mobilising foreign assistance to realise the objective.

Already, a substantial land mass has surfaced off the shore of Bangladesh on some of these completely surfaced land masses human habitations are growing while others emerge during the ebbing of the tide and go under water during the tides. The latter types of land formations could be elevated to be permanently joined to the mainland by engineering to step up the land accretion process. Indeed, much of present day Bangladesh including the districts of Faridpur, Barisal, Noakhali, Patuakhali, etc., were formed, over time in this manner.

Land masses have already emerged from the sea and more would rise in the future. But the natural process being slow and it can be accelerated by engineering, which is neither prohibitive in cost terms nor complex, in technology terms. For Bangladesh, it would require establishment of structures like cross dams to speed up the silt deposition pace in accreted or nearly accreted areas.

Bangladesh is likely to get a positive response for funds as well as technical support from the international community if it can show that it is really keen to reclaim land from the sea for the overpopulated country. But we have to put the endeavour under a systematic policy framework. Holland is one country with unmatched expertise and experience in obtaining land out of the sea. It was in a situation, much worse than Bangladesh. Holland was below the sea level for which high tides and storms in the sea used to completely inundate it. The Dutch engineering solved these problems. They have also permanently reclaimed vast stretches of land from the sea to keep them dry within secure barriers or sea walls.

We may not have to embark on projects on the same scale as the Netherlands did because of Bangladesh’s relatively better elevation. But, Bangladesh can definitely use its huge reservoir of manpower to build simpler projects to get similar or even better results. To be able achieve the goal engage in a time-bound and result oriented framework Bangladesh should engage Holland for technical and other support. It can also appeal to the international community for the funds needed for the project.

The US and other developed countries, the main contributors to global warming which could affect Bangladesh, should help it out in projects designed to secure its coasts and population. Even if external aid is not forthcoming, the government can proceed with dams and other structures designed to reclaim land from the sea on a sustainable basis. Bangladesh can take up such projects for execution by mobilising its own resources and expertise. Reclaimed land mass could be used for human resettlement to ease population pressure on the main land as well as for productive purposes. Coastal areas — specially the offshore islands — have great potential for tourism. Tourist resorts in the coastal islands — like in the Maldives — can attract tourists, foreign as well as local. The coastal areas are exclusively suitable for shrimp cultivation for export.

Dutch govt. for building cross dams, dikes to reclaim new lands in coastal areas

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/search_index.php?page=detail_news&news_id=26944

Dutch govt. for building cross dams, dikes to reclaim new lands in coastal areas

Signing a strategic agreement, the Dutch government representatives Sunday suggested Bangladesh to build cross dams and dikes at specific areas to fetch part of huge sediments flowing into the bay for reclaiming new lands along coastal areas, reports BSS.

“Like the Netherlands, Bangladesh can also catch parts of its 2 billion metric tonnes of sediments coming from the upstream for reclaiming new lands to face future challenges,” director general for Public Works and Water Management of the Netherlands Bert Keijts told journalists in the city.

The huge sediments, he said, should be turned into resources instead of considering those as wastes. He also suggested for building short but strong dikes at specific places at low costs to manage rivers and sediments.

Bert, who is now leading a Rijkswaterstraat delegation to Bangladesh, signed an agreement with Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) to continue Dutch supports for two more years under a Twinning Arrangement signed originally for eight years in 2000.

The agreement is focused on sharing knowledge for the mutual benefit of Bangladesh and the Netherlands, two deltas of Asia and Europe. The delegation will also visit morbid Gorai river and the 4.75 km long Jamuna bridge, the longest infrastructure in the country.

The twining arrangement that extends an ongoing cooperation scheme between the two sides would arrange 250,000 Euro annually for transfer of know-how and for joint research in both countries until 2009, a claim immediately turned down by a BWDB official. The arrangement would have no financial involvement, he said.

The first two phases of the arrangement from 2000-’07 resulted in positive contributions to the reform process of important water sector including BWDB and the Water Resources Planning Organisation (WARPO).