Coastal Zone Policy, Development Strategy and Legislation

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Saiful Alam, Director, WARPO

21 October 2014

Revitalizing the Ganges Coastal Zone: Turning Science into Policy and

Prac2ces

Coastal zone Policy, Development Strategy and

Legisla2on

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BAGERHAT BARGUNA BARISAL JHALAKATI CHANDPUR CHITTAGONG COX’S BAZAR FENI GOPALGANJ0 JESSORE

BHOLA KHULNA LAKSHMIPUR NARAIL NOAKHALI PATUAKHALI PIROJPUR SATKHIRA SHARIATPUR

v The Coastal Zone covers 19 districts facing the Bay of Bengal or having proximity to Bay & exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the Bay

Coastal polders:

Coastal polders were built in the 60’s and in 90s to prevent salinity and flooding from high Fde to grow more Aman crop. About 1.2 million ha is now under polder protecFon. In course of Fme the polders (especially in the southwest) gradually are gripped in a kind of problems which are both social ad environmental.

Coastal polders: Drainage conjestion

One of the bio-physical changes experienced is the drainage congesFon (khulna, Jessor and Satkhira) inside the polders due to heavy siltaFon outside the polders.

Water Resources: Surface Water

Surface water salinity was 1.7 ppt at Khulna prior to 1972 ; aRer construcFon of Farakka Barrage salinity reached as high as 17 ppt in Khulna. Decrease in Ganges flow and subsequent closure of Gorai oWake has increased the salinity. As a result dry season fresh surface water is not available also because of siltaFon in the khals and cannels. Water bodies like Ponds, beels and hoars are used for water supply.

Water Resources : Groundwater

Groundwater in the shallow aquifer is saline and is constraint to agriculture especially in the Southwest region. Groundwater in shallow aquifer is some Fme is limited because of the presence of silt clay in the upper strata in the south central (Barisal and Patuakhali does not pracFce GW).

Soil Salinity

Soil salinity is the main constraints for the crop producFon in the coast. Withdrawal of u/s flow, irregular rainfall, introducFon of brackish water for shrimp culture, faulty management of sluice gates and polders, regular entrance of saline water during high Fde outside the polders, capillary flow of soluble salts etc are the reason of increase soil salinity.

Poverty: Agriculture Land Use

The region lags behind the country in terms of intensity of agriculture (crop) land use. Land is predominantly single (50%) and double crop (40%), the cropping intensity being 159 percent, compared to 176 percent in Bangladesh.

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ACCESS

WEALTH INDEX

Projects undertaken in the Coastal zone

1.   Coastal Embankment project (CEP) 2. Land ReclamaFon Project (LRP) 3.   System RehabilitaBon Project 4.  Char Development and Sedlement Project 5. Meghna Estuary Study (MES) 6.   Coastal Embankment RehabilitaBon Project

(CERP II) 7.   Khulna Jessore Drainage RehabilitaBon Project 8.  Integrated Planning for Sustainable Water

Management (IPSWAM) Project 9.   Coastal Embankment Improvement Project(CEIP)

Water Management in the polders

. Investments in the polders oRen failed to address the changing needs of irrigaFon services, management of water resources within the polders. The iniFaFves tends to ignore desirable changes in cropping paderns and irrigaFon techniques for low water-‐producFvity pracFces, increase producFon of rice and to reduce conflicts between agriculture and aquaculture.

•  But overall problem cannot be solved by using same kind of thinking we used when we created them!

Water Management in the polders

System-‐level improvements in irrigaFon and drainage infrastructure and in the insFtuFonal and policy arrangements for managing these systems can enhance water producFvity and hence food security.

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1.  Planning will be done under land use

pol icy to control unplanned and indiscriminate use of land resources.

2. Zoning regulaBons would be formulated and enforced in due course.

Coastal Zone Policy: Land Use (4.4.1)

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1.   Adequate upland flow shall be ensured in water channels to protect eco-‐system intrusion of salinity from the sea

2.  Small water reservoirs shall be built to capture Bdal water in order to enhance minor irrigaBon in coastal areas.

3.  Appropriate water management system within the polder uBlizing exisBng infrastructures will be established for freshwater storage and other water uFlizaFon

Coastal Zone Policy: Water Resources (4.4.2)

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4.   Rainwater harvesBng and conservaFon shall be promoted

5.  Ponds and tanks will be excavated for conservaBon of water for the supply of safe water.

6.  Step will be taken to ensure sustainable use and management of ground water.

Coastal Zone Policy: Water Resources (4.4.2)

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1.  Environmentally adopted and socially responsive shrimp farming will be encouraged. In this regard, internaFonally accepted quality control measures will be introduced.

2.   All opportuniBes and potenBals of aquaculture will be uBlized in the coastal zone. Crab culture, pearl culture, sea grass will be encouraged.

Coastal Zone Policy: Aquaculture (4.4.4)

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1.  IntensificaBon of agriculture and crop diversificaBon for improving the economic condiBons of both male and female farmers and increasing food security at local and regional level should be supported through program.

2.  For increasing the producBon of crops suitable for the coastal area with adenFon to maintenance of soil health, program should be taken up.

Coastal Zone Policy : Agriculture (4.4.5)

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3.   Salt-‐tolerant crop varieBes will be developed and extended along with possible measures to resist salinity.

4. The scope of irrigaFon faciliFes will be explored and / or extended and a comprehensive water management for agriculture will be implemented

Coastal Zone Policy : Agriculture (4.4.5)

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1.  Measures will be adopted that increase access to natural resources for the poor and the disadvantaged (on which they are dependent for their livelihood).

2.  In the distribuFon of naFonal economic benefits, priority will be given to exposed upazilas and coastal islands

Coastal Zone Policy : Equitable distribuFon (4.5)

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1.  Equal parFcipaFon of all stakeholders shall be ensured and establishing effecBve co-‐operaBon between the government agencies, local government insBtuBons and non-‐governmental organizaBons

2.  VesFng on local government insBtuBons, at the union, upazila and district levels, the power and responsibiliBes for design, formulaFon and implementaFon of local level development programs and projects

Coastal Zone Policy : Empowerment of communiBes(4.6)

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3.  Co-‐management procedures shall be established that will bring decision-‐making power to the grass root levels

4.  Specific vulnerabiliFes of the coastal communiFes; farmers in the saline zone, ………….., vulnerable ethnic communiFes and so forth should be adequately addressed.

Coastal Zone Policy : Empowerment of communiBes(4.6)

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Governance focuses on three aspects: a) insFtuFonal developments; b) legal frameworks and c)  Assessments

Governance

Coastal Development Strategy

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InsBtuBonal Development: At the naFonal level, a Program Coordina2on Unit (PCU) established at WARPO to facilitaFng and coordinaFng Intergratd Coastal Zone Management (ICZM )process. • inter-‐ministerial Steering CommiYee; • Technical CommiYee; •  Task forces and the Focal Points.

Coastal Development Strategy : Governance

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Legal Framework.

• Enforcement and capacity building of enforcing agencies. • Need for Coastal Zone RegulaFons will be framed in line with recently issued Bangladesh Water Act

Assessment of CZ developments:

Developments in the coastal zone need to be

assessed against the development objecFves

Coastal Development Strategy : Governance

Strategic PrioriBes

Type of IntervenBon Targets

Ensuring fresh and safe water availability

Strengthening SanitaBon and Safe Water Supply Programs in Arsenic and Salinity Affected Areas

2007: Water supply & SanitaBon project

Ground Water Management in the CZ of Bangladesh.

2007: FormulaBon of a groundwater management Plan

Tran boundary flow assured

2006:RestoraBon of flow of Gorai river


Strategic PrioriBes


OpBmizing use of coastal lands

Integrated management of coastal water infrastructures

2007:A project on management of coastal water resources infrastructure: pilot project in 5 polders

Coastal land zoning. Land zoning done

Development of coastal agriculture in Bangladesh

Agriculture Master Plan for SW


Strategic PrioriBes


CreaBng an enabling insBtuBonal environment

Set up a PCU for coordinaBon and harmonizaBon among the line agencies

2005: structure agreed, established and PCU OperaBonal zed

OperaBonalizaBon at district (DDCC) and Upazila /local (UDCC) level of ICZM

2006: PCU operaBonal at both naBonal and local level

Capacity Building of the Local Government InsBtutes (Union Parishad sand Paurashavas) for Integrated Coastal Resource Management.


Regulation 1 : Legislation for zoning of shrimp aquaculture

1.  The proposed zoning of shrimp aquaculture in CZPo could be brought under the Environmental ConservaBon Act 1995. DoE can declare any area as a protected area.

2. NaBonal Land Use Policy (2008) includes provision for the zoning of all major land using acFviFes; these would include shrimp aquaculture


1.   Land Management Manual, 1990 dealing with Rivers and water bodies contain provision for the protecFon and management of rivers and water bodies

2. The Polders under the Red class requires the stringent EIA process for proposed construcFon, re-‐construcFon or rehabilitaFon of projects primarily meant for agriculture.







Regulation 3 : Land Zone regulation/ Bangladesh Water Act (BWA)

1.   indiscriminate use of land resources (shrimp farming) effecFng water resources should be protected

2.   Zoning regulaBons for Shrimp aquaculture would be formulated

DraR regulaFon is under preparaFon under the Ministry of Land for the enforcement of land zoning. BWA towards Environmentally adopted and socially responsive shrimp farming

Message 1: Constraints are misconceptions

Message 1: Water resources in the coastal zone have largely been misconceived as constraints to producFon and are therefore, under-‐uFlized

Water Resources (both GW and SW) is constrain to agriculture. There is lack of upland fresh water flow, which is responsible to some extent for siltaFon, drainage congesFon and under producFon of agriculture and poverty. )

Message 2: New crop and technology is required

Message 2 : CPWF Ganges Program demonstrated that with advances in crop and aquaculture technologies and exisFng water resources, there is tremendous potenFal to improve food security and livelihoods! This is possible through adopFon of improved species, varie2es, cropping system intensifica2on (two to three crops per year) and diversifica2on with high-‐value crops and aquaculture species in all polders and all salinity regimes across the coastal zone.

Message 3: Hydrological units

Message-‐3: Invest in water management infrastructure with special emphasis on drainage: • Each polder must be considered as an

integrated water management unit • Improving drainage is the key

intervenFon • Rural roads and others structures to be

considered as boundaries of sub-‐ hydrological units, and also units of community water management.

With sedimentaFon outside the polders and subsidence inside the polders drainage could be difficult.

Message 3: Finance

Message 4: Maintenance of infrastructure can be solved through a three-‐Fer strategy: • Community level: Improving financial sustainability of WMOs; • Local government level: EffecFve use of local government insFtuFons’ social safety-‐nets funds in maintenance of infrastructure; • Central government and donor level: CreaBng a Trust Fund

A structured approach to investment and financing is NaFonal budget, local resources mobilizaFon, private sector investment and proposed special funds like Coastal Environment and Development Facility and Coastal Disaster Preparedness and Emergency MiFgaFon Fund

Message 5: Governance

Message 5: A transparent and accountable water governance framework: • Enhances the role of local government insFtuFon; • follows the integrated water resources management (IWRM) principles appropriate for polders

PCU at NaFonal level (WARPO) and also local level (District/ Upazila) need strengthening and union perishad for operaFonal zing the ICZM in the polders

Message 6 & 7: Land Use in Coastal Zone

Message 6: Enhance trans-‐boundary cooperaFon on water to ensure adequate surface water flow to coast. Message 7: Access to data and modern tools in planning, policy analysis

GWT is the assurance of share of Bangladesh Fll 2020. But it is not the guarantee for fresh flow to coast unless Ganges Barrage is in place.

1.  NWMP do consider coastal polders are necessary for the protecFon of lives and agriculture.

2.  Drainage problem in the polders is not due to poor design of individual polders, but intrinsic to the construcFon of a polder system in a delta environment (NWMPP 2000).

3.  A system approach based on the hydrologic region is the answer to the siltaFon and drainage problem.

Conclusion on Efficacy of Costal Polders:

Efficacy of Coastal Polders depends of upland flow

5.  The Tran boundary flow s in the Ganges is more or less assured by the Ganges Water Treaty (GWT) Fll 2020.

6.  Ganges Barrage is expected to improve the salinity and partly the sedimentaFon problem. Minor irrigaFon would improve.

7. Improving water management within the polder inside does not ensure improvement of drainage condiFon of the polders

1.  System-‐level improvements in irrigaFon and drainage infrastructure is required;

2.  The drainage problem need to be addressed along with subsidence, and siltaFon outside the polders.

3.  InsFtuFonal, legal and policy arrangements for managing these systems will enhance water producFvity and hence food security;

Agriculture& Aquaculture in Coastal Polders

1.  Agriculture development in the coast potenFally improve livelihood and reduce poverty

2.  Shrimp farming should be environmentally adopted and socially responsive .

Agriculture vs Aquaculture in Coastal Polders

Thank you !

Coastal Zone Policy, Development Strategy and Legislation

Food

bdal water

water channels

coastal polders

introducfon of brackish

small water reservoirs

polders oren

low waterproducfvity

soil salinity soil salinity