Bangladesh is one of the most flood-prone countries in the world. Haor areas of the north-eastern region of the country face flash floods caused by sudden and early downstream water of the surrounding upstream during the period from late March to May. Haor, a very low-lying river basin area, is covered by water for almost a half of the year starting from the monsoon season. It is a variety of wetland habitats, including rivers, streams and canals and large areas of seasonally inundated cultivatable land.
Flash floods take place more frequently and less unpredictably. These floods cause quick damage to crops and property and are followed by relatively rapid recession. Haors are an important source of agricultural production for a large number of vulnerable people. During winter, cultivated lands of the area produce paddy with minimum efforts while during monsoon, the same is turned into breeding place for open water fishery and hosting a wide range of water biodiversity. Haors are important areas for Boro rice cultivation (a rice variety cultivated from December to May). This Boro is a largely mono-cropping agricultural system in haor. But early flash floods often wash away standing crops and people lose their harvest. Flood, especially at the brim of harvest, make the farmers frustrated. They face a huge loss just in a few hours to three or four days before harvest of the crops which is irredeemable.
CONVENTIONAL PROTECTION PRACTICES: Earthen embankment of low height along periphery of the haor with structure at the intersection of embankment and drainage channel is built to protect the Boro from flash floods. The embankment is inundated and it remains under water during monsoon. Construction of earthen embankments is a conventional practice for protecting people's lives and homes, agriculture and infrastructures. Over the last few decades, nearly 4,500 km of low-lying embankments along the small rivers, haors and canals have been made and repaired. Cases of successful and unsuccessful embankments are being observed across the country. Earthen embankments are facing problems like erosion, breaching in every year. Low submersible height embankments obstruct the flash flood water for several days, so that farmers get time for harvesting before the land is completely inundated. The Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) has the key responsibility in protecting the present flood protection structures in haor areas.
The country had experienced amplified occurrence of flash floods in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010 in the haor areas that damaged the main paddy crops of the region. People's observations and experiences divulge that Boro paddy is damaged due to flash flood in the haor region once in a three years' interval. According to the people of the haor areas, flash floods might attack these areas in the coming months of 2014.
ACTIONS TO BE UNDER TAKEN: The following points are to be mentioned to the relevant authorities, particularly in the Ministry of Water Resource and the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) for taking appropriate steps in supporting farmers for protecting of Boro in haor areas:
1) Prompt and coordinated actions are needed by the respective authorities to make new protection and to complete ongoing repairing work of earthen embankments in vulnerable spots of haor region in conjunction with community and local governments as soon as possible (before 20th March). Any sort of irregularities and negligence might cause damages of crops and sufferings of the people due to early flash floods.
2) Appropriate allocation, rapid flow of fund and effective monitoring and supervision of urgent protection activities should be ensured by authorities responsible at different layers.
3) Role of local governments and communities at different stages of the work and during flash flood situations needs to be emphasised, supported and ensured by the authorities.
LONG-TERM STEPS: It is felt that building of submergible embankment is an economically smart intervention that can help the people of the haor. But limitations such as difficulties of physical workings and weak management set-up for operation, maintenance and protection, environmental consequences and lack of engagement of people need to be addressed effectively involving key actors.
Impact minimising strategies such as the use of cropping patterns which minimise exposition to loss and the setting up of non-agricultural income-generating activities need to be promoted. Crop type and pattern should be selected according to susceptibility of flood. If possible, effort should be given by concerned agencies to find new varieties of species which have flash flood resistance. Crop insurance scheme could be encouraged and piloted by relevant organisations with proper governance set-up as a long-term risk reducing initiative.
Any livelihood initiative in the haor areas has to take into consideration flood aspects so that the initiative does not give in, rather yield some benefits to the target people. Involvement of the community and enlisting their inputs in any kind of programme designs and relevant issues affecting their lives and livelihood will make the intervention process easier and impact-bearing.
Mainstreaming disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in existing development works and future initiatives of different government departments and NGOs (non-governmental organisations) working in the area are a must. The concerned authorities should develop disaster data base which is very important to carry out detailed study and planning. The government and NGOs need to redesign their development programmes with the active participation of the most vulnerable communities. This is to ensure that they maximise flood mitigation potential and incorporate traditional community coping practices which are fit technically, environmentally, socially and economically.
The respective authorities at different levels should strengthen capacity-building initiatives of the local government. A well-organised and coordinated effort is needed to further strengthening local level planning, implementing decision-making process and the allocation of resource to local government for flash flood proof programme in the vulnerable location. Adequate resources from central government and others and their effective utilisations should be ensured by the authorities and the policy-makers.
Suitable steps, particularly structural measures in haor areas, could be taken considering existing study recommendations on floods/flash flood management. New study and action research for more durable solution in protecting Boro crops, properties and assets of haor areas might be a worthy step. Far-reaching river dredging programme should to be taken with community participation to remove sediments from the river bed deposited during flood to increase the water-holding capacity of the drainage systems and to increase the water flow capacity. The abandoned channels also need to be re-excavated to reduce the water-logging problem. The dredge sediment could be used to raise the level of land and infrastructures with proper planning in consultation with the brave people of haor areas.
Forecasting of monsoon river floods in Bangladesh is in good form, but in forecasting flash floods a lot of gaps and limitations are observed. At this point, improvement of present forecasting system is very much needed. Cooperation and joint steps with neighbouring countries could be explored by political and technical authorities in this regard.
Good coordination, along with efficient management practices among relevant ministries, departments and actors from top to bottom throughout the year, is very much needed for managing risk of flash floods and ensurng good harvest of Boro in the haor areas.
The success of actions taken by the responsible authorities to reduce upcoming flash floods risk would be a smart step for ensuring food security and poverty reduction of a large number of people in haor areas.
The writer has been working as a Senior Programme Officer for four years in Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Embassy of Switzerland, Bangladesh. Views expressed in the article are of the writer's alone. farid.hasan2008@gmail.com
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