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Participatory Water Management: a Strategy for Climate Change Adaptation in Coastal Bangladesh

A.T.M. Habibullah
Planning Directorate III, Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), Hasan Court (7th Floor) 23/1 Motijheel C/A, Dhaka 1000

Andrew Jenkins*
Planning Directorate III, Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), Hasan Court (7th Floor) 23/1 Motijheel C/A, Dhaka 1000 email: andrew.jenkins@ipswam-bwdb.org.bd

Md. Zafar Iqbal
Planning Directorate III, Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), Hasan Court (7th Floor) 23/1 Motijheel C/A, Dhaka 1000

Alamgir Chowdhury
Planning Directorate III, Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), Hasan Court (7th Floor) 23/1 Motijheel C/A, Dhaka 1000

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Predicted changes in the environment of Coastal Bangladesh, related to anthropomorphic climate change, include: rising sea level, increased monsoon precipitation, reduced winter precipitation, intensity of extreme events such as cyclonic storm surges. Changes already occurring not directly related to climate change include: lowering of land levels, caused by tectonic plate movement and sediment compaction and sedimentation of tidal channels. In a medium term perspective (to 2050), a substantial population increase can also be expected. Experience gained by the Integrated Planning for Sustainable Water Management (IPSWAM) Programme of the BWDB in nine coastal polders during 2003-8, shows that a participatory approach to Integrated Water Resource Management can very substantially improve Operation and Maintenance of water management infrastructure and make a major contribution to long-term sustainability. Initial indications also strongly suggest that such an approach can form the foundation of a feasible medium-term strategy for successful adaptation to climate change in the coastal zone as well as providing an effective approach for facing and overcoming the other expected challenges referred to above.

Keywords: Water management, Integrated approach, Participation, Climate change

Location: Coastal Bangladesh

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Socio-economic and Policy

Non-commodity: Weather/Climate

Objectives:

The study was undertaken with the objective to observe the capacity building and institutional strengthening to enhance the capacity of government ministries and agencies, civil society and the private sector to meet the challenge of climate change.

Methodology:

For four of these six pillars, a comprehensive and effective approach to Integrated Planning for Sustainable Water Management is an essential mechanism for ensuring meaningful community participation in the planning, implementation, operation and maintenance of water management infrastructure in those large parts of the country to be seriously affected by climate change.

Therefore the Integrated Planning for Susutainable Water Management (IPSWAM) Programme has been established by the Bangladesh Water Development Board in 2003 and is currently working in nine polders in the South and South-western zones of Bangladesh. It has has developed an integrated methodology (IPSWAM 2005) for the establishment of long-term, sustainable, participatory water management. This methodology involves a close partnership between government institutions such as the BWDB, and local participatory Water Management Organisations (WMOs). This involves agreement on long-term operation and maintenance, in which WMOs take responsibility for operation and routine maintenance, while the BWDB takes responsibility for periodic and emergency maintenance.

Since 2005, significant routine maintenance works have been carried out by the WMOs in the IPSWAM polders. The estimated cost of the routine maintenance activities carried out under IPSWAM until June 2008 is BDT 1,340,000. However, it should be noted that the value of these works is much higher, as the routine maintenance activities prevent high risk embankment breaches, malfunctioning of sluices etc. There has been a strong increase in investments in routine maintenance over the period.

The IPSWAM Programme also includes an important element of training and dissemination of the IPSWAM concept within and beyond the Bangladesh Water Development Board, so that the BWDB is assisted to move from a construction and project-oriented institution to one focused on long-term integrated, participatory, sustainable water management. This programme of institutional strengthening is also being executed on time in accordance with programme planning, and has resulted in the approval in September 2008 by the Director, Bangladesh Water Development Board, of official Guidelines for Integrated Planning for Sustainable Water Resource Management (IPSWARM) in medium-sized Flood Control and Drainage Projects throughout Bangladesh. This is supported by a comprehensive training programme and Training Materials Toolkit, which has been distributed throughout the BWDB.

Source of Information: 2nd International Conference on Water & Flood Management (ICWFM-2009), BUET, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

IPSWAM has defined for itself the expectation that the system of joint participatory Operation and Maintenance involving BWDB and the WMOs should continue successfully in the nine polders for at least twenty years.

As has been explained above, it appears unlikely that climate change will seriously risk non-achievement of this objective. Indeed, climate change is expected to increase substantially the need for an IPSWAM approach to water management.

It is therefore concluded that the IPSWAM approach may be extended more widely in Bangladesh as a means to more effective and flexible joint management, maintenance and adaptation of water management infrastructure, as a key element in climate change adaptation.

It is a primary responsibility of the IPSWAM programme to develop and disseminate a methodology to enable the BWDB and other GoB institutions to work constructively in partnership with local communities through participatory Water Management Organisations, to achieve sustainable water management: partnership in practice. This new approach is essential for the planned adaptation which climate change will require. Therefore it is suggested that a key response to climate change projections is to extend the IPSWAM approach into areas which have been identified as vulnerable to climate change impacts.

Knowledge Management: Report/Proceedings