Save the wetlands

Wetlands must be preserved to prevent ecological disaster

The major wetlands of this country called the haors or large lakes are located on the basins of Surma and Kushiara. The baors or horseshoe lakes are sparsely located in the southwestern Bangladesh. There are other lowlands called the beels which lie in the flood plains of big rivers. But these beels are increasingly being drained up for rice cultivation.

The total area of Bangladesh is about 1,48,000 sq km. Except some highland to the southeast, east and central parts about 1,00,000 sq km area is the flood plains of big rivers. A part of this is the rivers, haors, baors and beels which those remain under water round the year. After arrival of the monsoon a large part of the flood plain goes under water for four to six months. Thus the estimated wetlands amount to be about 44,000 sq km.

Table 1 : Open water bodies
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Total 40,47,000 ha
Rivers+Estuaries 10,32,000 ha
Beels + Haors 1,14,000 ha
Kaptai Lake 68,000 ha
Flooded Land 28,33,000 ha

Table 2 :Closed water bodies
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Total 3,51,000 ha
Ponds 2,15,000 ha
Baors 5,000 ha
Coastal lowlands 1,41,000 ha

Total Water Area = 43,98,000 ha = 43,980 sqkm. = 30% of total surface area

Data Source : Krishi Diary

The average annual rainfall over Bangladesh is about 2300 mm. But in Rajshahi to the west it is about 1250 mm only while in Sylhet to the northeast it is about 5000 mm. The haors having average ground level 2 to 4 meters above mean sea level are located in this region. So, at the very arrival of the rainy seasons, vast area in this region gets inundated.

The haors, baors and beels were once full of fishes and aquatic animals making a unique eco-system indigenous to this country. But over-draining of these wetlands has greatly damaged this system threatening the very existence of rare birds and aquatic species. Bangladesh accepting the 1971 Ramsar Convention of Iran and 1992 Rio Convention of Brazil has special concern for this situation and has been committed to revive the environmental balance.

The Bangladesh National Water Policy 1999 states that: Fisheries and wildlife are integral aspects of economic development in Bangladesh and strongly linked to advancement of target groups, poverty alleviation, nutrition, and employment generation. Availability of water for fisheries is thus important from the point of view of sustenance as well as commercial ventures. It is, therefore, the policy of the Government that:

• Fisheries and wildlife will receive due emphasis in water resource planning particularly in areas where their social impact is high.
• Water bodies like baors, haors, beels, roadside borrow pits, etc. will, as far as possible, be reserved for fish production and development. Perennial water links with the rivers through feeder channels will also be properly maintained.

Though the Government of Bangladesh has put due importance, the wetlands are yet to be looked as the essential part of our life and inseparable eco-system. Historically these wetlands provided job for the fishermen and largely met our protein demand. But increasing human population drained these lands for rice cultivation and put embankments to check inundation by early floods. This has led to imbalance in the nature and loss of fish, migratory and local birds and aquatic wildlife.

In the present situation the wetlands need to be managed in such a way that these do not damage the eco-system any further but improve. For this, the following suggestions are made for the attention of all stakeholders related to wetlands.

• The people living in the haor areas suffer a lot for want of roads. So the flood management work by putting embankments should be such that it can be usable throughout the year for communication but does not disturb the wildlife.
• In the name of keeping the rivers perennial dredging and over-draining of the wetlands should be stopped. At least one wetland in each union all over the country should be reserved to keep the mother stock of fishes alive throughout the year.
• To keep the eco-system undisturbed, the haors of Sylhet, Sunamganj, Moulavibazar, Habiganj, Netrokona and Kishoreganj may be declared as wildlife sanctuaries and the whole area as a National Park. The variety of the boro rice cultivation in this area should be indigenous and adjusted according to the local flood calendar.
• The baors in the southwestern Bangladesh may also be declared as wildlife sanctuaries and the whole area as a National Park. Only fishing may be allowed in limited scale to retain the profession of the fishermen.
• Setting up industries in the haor and baor belts should be discouraged. Stop all the mechanised boats except in particular routes. The areas should be planted with indigenous and environ friendly trees.
• The life of the people in wetlands, its eco-system should be depicted in the school textbooks for awareness of the children about this resource.
• Filling of the wetlands around the cities by sand should be stopped as it damages the topsoil. The housing companies should be suggested to excavate ponds and fill the sites with the spoil for housing.
• Pollution of the wetlands by sewage and industrial effluents of cities should be stopped. For this, the water and sewerage authorities should be asked to build sufficient number of sewage treatment plants.

Engr M Inamul Haque is Director General, Bangladesh Haor & Wetlands Development Board