Perspectives from the Ganges

Subtitle

Learning from global

transboundary challenges and

opportunities: Bringing perspectives

from the Ganges to the Mekong

M. Yusuf Ali and C. A. Meisner

WLE-Ganges, WorldFish, Bangladesh

Greater Mekong Forum on water, food and energy,

Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 22 Oct 2015

Basic Fact of Ganges river basin

River length: 2,525 Km

Starting point: Gangotri glacier at Uttrakhand, India

End point (mouth): Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh

with other rivers

How many countries traverse: Bangladesh, India,

Nepal

Elevation: Starting point(3,892 m), end point (0 m)

Water source: 91 % from rainfall, 09 % from

glaciers/snow melt

Basin area -1.1million km2

Ganges origin, end point and whole basin area

Ganges at Headwater and Lower basin

Comparison between Ganges and Mekong for some facts

Stat. Ganges Mekong

Basin Population(Million) 655 60

Water resource /year (Billion

M3)

525 457 km3

Water withdrawal(Billion M3) 266.8 -

Cropped area(Million ha) 44.99 10

Irrigated area(million ha) 22.41 04

Population below Poverty

level (%)

30 20

Ecosystem services(ESS): Fishing

ESS: Irrigation-Dam-Barrage-Canal

ESS: Irrigated crops

ESS: (tourism and culture)

ESS: (Navigation, timber and others)

ESS: Biodiversity

ESS: Hydropower

Problems: low dry season flow, siltation, erosion and flood

Burning problems

Less water is available in dry season for

continuation of e-flow due to withdrawal of water

at different points of headwaters through

barrage/irrigation canal/industry

High pollution through fecal sludge/industrial

pollution/human settlement encroaching/dumping

of waste in the river/ disturbance of e-flow through

dams

Navigation is increasingly hampered in dry season

(December-May)

Increase of water and soil salinity in downstream

Lack of common Basin development program

No transboundary agreement/joint river

commission between co-basin countries

Only short term bilateral treaties (such as India-

Bangladesh; India-Nepal)

Dearth of High level political intervention for

developing a science based total basin

approach comprising Bangladesh, India, Nepal,

China and Bhutan like Mekong/Rhine

Future Opportunities

Water could be an entry point for addressing

challenges common to region through a Ganges

River Commission (GRC):

Increased data sharing, joint monitoring and capacity

development

Joint investment, Joint operation and management

Store monsoon water (80 % rainfall in four months which is

420 billion m3 streamflow) for ensuring dry season flow

Expand irrigation and navigation facilities including river link

for Nepal (as land locked)

Mitigate the effect of floods and erosion

Manage droughts and salinity with the changing climate

Contd. Future Opportunities

Augment dry season river flows

Generate environmentally safe hydropower for

own use and market to other co-basin country

Ensure ecosystem services through ensuring e-

flow

Cooperation in smart conservation agriculture

to optimize water use for dry season crops

Collaboration in climate change adaptation and

mitigation