Livelihood Adaptation in Wetland Bangladesh:

Pro-Poor Risk Reduction and Adaptation Strategies

M. Abdul Qayyum
National Project Director, CDMP
Ministry of Food and Disaster Management
Government of Bangladesh
The views expressed in this paper/presentation are the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), or its
Board of Directors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the source, originality, accuracy, completeness or reliability of any statement, information, data,
finding, interpretation, advice, opinion, or view presented, nor does it make any representation concerning the same.
 Wetland

The RAMSAR Convention in 1971 defined wetlands as “areas

of marsh, fan, peatland or wasteland, whether natural or
artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static
or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine
water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six
meters”.

Wetlands may also incorporate riparian and coastal zones

adjacent to wetlands and island or bodies of marine waters.
(Ramsar Convention Bureau, 1987)
 Wetland in Bangladesh?

• The total area of wetlands in Bangladesh has variously been estimated at

7-8 million hectares excluding coastal wetlands, i.e. about 50% of the
total land surface

• Wetlands of Bangladesh have characteristics of five landscape units –

floodplain, freshwater marshes, lakes, coastal wetlands and mangrove/
swamp forests.

• The country’s wide range of wetlands includes more than 700 rivers and
streams, thousands of shallow freshwater lakes and marshes (known
locally as haors, baors and beels), floodplains, inshore coastal areas and
extensive estuarine systems
 Dependency on Agriculture & Natural Resources

• About 80% of rural people in Bangladesh depend on wetlands for rice,

fish and other aquatic resources,

• Wetland based agriculture contributes 50% to rural livelihoods, and

whilst fishing accounts for a mere 3% of GDP, it contributes to the
livelihoods of over 73% of rural floodplain households.

• About two-thirds of Bangladesh is wetlands. Over 80% rural people

depends on various wetland resources at varying degrees. Poor receive
about 50% of the direct benefits and share in many of the remaining
benefits
 How wetlands are benefiting the poor ?

Underground
water
Enhance recharge
soil fertility

Reduce
pollution,
Water for water
Irrigation purification

Habitat
Ecological for wild
balance Protection animals
Flood &
Of Natural and plants
Erosion
Disaster & control
calamities
Poors dependence on Wetland natural resources
Threats to Agriculture
Adaptive Livelihood Options: Floating seed bed
 Degradation of Wetlands and Productivity

Degradation of the wetlands in Bangladesh have created the following

impacts on livelihood in rural Bangladesh:
Serious reduction in fish habitat, fish population and diversity;
Extinction and reduction of wildlife including birds and reptiles;
Extinction of many indigenous varieties of rice with the propagation of
high yielding varieties;
Loss of many indigenous aquatic plants, weeds and shrubs;
Loss of natural soil nutrients;
Deterioration of living conditions;
Loss of natural water reservoirs and their resultant benefits;
Degeneration of wetland-based ecosystems, occupations, socio-
economic institutions and cultures.
 Wetland Management Issues & Needs
Types Functions/Services
Flood Flood storage; flood protection; fish,
Plains aquatic flora and fauna, wildlife habitats;
nutrient cycling/ storage and related
pollution control; landscape value;
agriculture; storage of ground water and
recharge.
Coastal
Wetlands Shoreline protection, storm damage buffer
zone, recreation, extended food web
control, salinity balance, aquatic resources
both commercial and wild; landscape
value
Fresh High biodiversity, migratory birds habitat,
water flood storage; fish, aquatic flora and fauna,
inland wildlife habitats; nutrient cycling/ storage
natural and related pollution control; landscape
depression value; agriculture; storage of ground water
(Haor) and recharge.
Mangroves Richest biodiversity, cyclone protection as
/Swamp the largest forest wind shield; habitat for
Forest both aquatic and terrestrial wild resources,
source of valuable food (including honey),
fiber, fuel, medicinal plant, habitat for
global significance species including Royal
Priority Management Needs
• EIA mandatory before any physical
intervention
• Land use control measures
• Regeneration of lost habitats for biodiversity
• Climate Change impact assessment
• Declare potential breeding sites as the fish
sanctuary
• Coastal land use zoning
• Case specific protected area under peoples
participation
• Frequency of cyclone and storm surge, salinity
increase needs to be considered in the
planning process.
• Community based wetland resource
management
• Regeneration of swamp forest, fish sanctuary
declaration of the bottom part of “haor” where
water body remains for year round.
• One of the wetland (Hail Haor) declared as the
Ramsar site and the 6 other wetland bodies are
declared as the Ecologically Critical Area
under Conservation Act.
• Part of the Sundarbans under World Heritage
site management
• Global significant species including the Tigers
need special attention for conservation.
 Policy Strategies

• Community based institutional arrangement for strengthening

empowerment of the poor by introducing participatory natural resource
management,

• Establishment of common property resources (CPR) management and

participatory local level action planning and management

• Activating local government and other local organizations to provide and

attach to more need responsive services to the local communities through
multi-sectoral interventions with the facilitation of the professional NGOs

• Establish public-private partnership in the framework of co-management

concept of bigger wetlands management with engagement of poor people
around the wetlands.
Thank You !