Rivers for Life Proceedings of the International Symposium on River Biodiversity: Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna River System
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Rivers for Life Proceedings of the International Symposium on River Biodiversity: Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna River System Editors Ravindra Kumar Sinha Benazir Ahmed Ecosystems for Life: A Bangladesh-India Initiative The designation of geographical entities in this publication, figures, pictures, maps, graphs and the presentation of all the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN concerning the legal status of any country, territory, administration, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The views expressed in this publication are authors’ personal views and do not necessarily reflect those of IUCN. This initiative is supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN), Bangladesh. Produced by: IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature Copyright: © 2014 IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Reproduction of this material for education or other non-commercial purposes is authorised without prior written permission from the copyright holder provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of this publication for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written permission of the copyright holder. Citation: Sinha, R. K. and Ahmed, B. (eds.) (2014). Rivers for Life - Proceedings of the International Symposium on River Biodiversity: Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna River System, Ecosystems for Life, A Bangladesh-India Initiative, IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, 340 pp. ISBN: ISBN 978-93-5196-807-8 Process Coordinator: Dilip Kumar Kedia, Research Associate, Environmental Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Patna University, Patna, India Copy Editing: Alka Tomar Designed & Printed by: Ennovate Global, New Delhi Cover Photo by: Rubaiyat Mowgli Mansur, WCS Project Team: Brian J. Furze, Bushra Nishat, Archana Chatterjee, Dipankar Aich, Sushmita Mandal, AJM Zobaidur Rahman, Aditi Jha Available from: IUCN Bangladesh Country Office House 16, Road 2/3, Banani, Dhaka 1213, Bangladesh www.iucn.org/Bangladesh IUCN India Country Office B 88, Neeti Bagh, New Delhi 110049, India www.iucn.org/India www.iucn.org/E4L Content Page No. Acknowledgement 4 Foreword 5 Preface 6 Symposium Proceedings 7 Recommendations 8 Themes River Biodiversity Conservation: Issues and Opportunities 10 Higher Vertebrates 84 Fish and Fisheries 174 Plankton and Benthic Organisms 256 Annexes 323 I List of Peer Reviewers II List of Abstracts III List of Poster Presentations IV Symposium Agenda V List of Participants About Partners 336 Rivers for Life 3 Proceedings of the International Symposium on River Biodiversity: Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna River System (2014) Acknowledgement The International Symposium on River Biodiversity in Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna River System organised under the Ecosystems for Life: A Bangladesh-India Initiative, would not have been possible but for the efforts of the several academic experts, institutions, and government departments of the two countries – Bangladesh and India. Special acknowledgement is due to Prof. R. K. Sinha, Patna University, India and Prof. Benazir Ahmed, University of Chittagong, Bangladesh for collaborating to organise this successful symposium and providing editorial inputs for this publication. We are specially thankful to the then Secretary, Mr. Dipak Kumar Singh and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Bihar and Mr. B. A. Khan, for their support and guidance towards organising the symposium. The cooperation extended by the Department of Environment and Forests, Government of Bihar, is deeply appreciated. We are especially grateful to all authors from Bangladesh and India who enriched this Symposium by sharing their insights and experiences from their studies. IUCN would also like to thank faculty members, researchers, students and staff from Patna University who worked tirelessly to make this symposium a success. We are also thankful to all participants at the symposium, including media. A special thanks to all the reviewers who took out valuable time and made this publication possible. 4 Rivers for Life Proceedings of the International Symposium on River Biodiversity: Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna River System (2014) Foreword Addressing human and biodiversity concerns in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna river system Bangladesh and India have some of the most intricate and complex river systems in the world. Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna (GBM), the three major rivers along with their tributaries drain an area of about 1.75 million square kilometres and have around 620 million people dependent on these rivers directly or indirectly. The river system is very rich in terms of fish species and is home to several rare and endangered species such as dolphins, turtles, otter and gharials. But this rich riverine biodiversity is under threat from unplanned development, pollution, habitat fragmentation, degradation and increasing population. Facilitated and supported by IUCN, an international symposium on “River Biodiversity: Ganges-Brahmaputra- Meghna River System”, organised jointly by Patna University, India and University of Chittagong, Bangladesh was held from April 04-06, 2014 in Patna, Bihar, India. The symposium brought together experts, policy makers and the civil society from Bangladesh and India to draw attention to river biodiversity of the GBM region, its status, threats and conservation imperatives. The Symposium was held as part of ‘Ecosystems for Life: A Bangladesh-India Initiative’, a civil society led multi-stakeholder dialogue process facilitated by IUCN to promote better understanding of the conservation and management of shared ecosystems in Bangladesh and India. Through this symposium, Ecosystems for Life attempted to facilitate dialogue and deepening engagement in both countries towards conserving riverine biodiversity. The symposium was aimed at fostering knowledge and learning on these issues and throw light on the need for collaboration in sustaining our shared ecosystems. This publication includes papers that were part of thirty five oral and nine poster presentations on various themes presented by thirty six eminent researchers/ practitioners. The themes included: River Biodiversity Conservation: Issues and Opportunities, Higher Vertebrates, Fish and Fisheries and Plankton and Benthic Organisms. It is hoped that the knowledge base created through this publication will become a seminal reference point, we hope that this will serve as valuable compendium on some of the key issues related to river biodiversity in the GBM region and provide possible pathways to conserve these river systems for people and biodiversity that inhabit and depend on these rivers. We invite all readers to an exhaustive and informative read on the GBM region’s river biodiversity. Ishtiaq Uddin Ahmad Priya Ranjan Sinha Country Representative, IUCN Bangladesh Country Office Country Representative, IUCN India Country Office Rivers for Life 5 Proceedings of the International Symposium on River Biodiversity: Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna River System (2014) Preface Traversed by three great rivers and their tributaries, the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna (GBM) region is shared by India (64 per cent), China (18 per cent), Nepal (nine per cent), Bangladesh (seven per cent) and Bhutan (three per cent). These rivers are inextricably linked with the history and culture of the region, besides also providing a host of ecosystem services and habitat for riverine species. The GBM region battles significant challenges related to pollution, biodiversity loss, navigability and flooding, that impacts lives and livelihoods of people who depend upon these rivers. In addition, interventions in the form of dams and barrages, ongoing and proposed water development projects and flood control measures have the potential to affect flows and aquatic biodiversity in the region. It is crucial to understand these challenges so that steps can be taken to ensure sustainability of the region. The International Symposium on “River Biodiversity: Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna System” organised from April 04-06, 2014, was focused on further developing this understanding. Held under the auspices of Ecosystems for Life: A Bangladesh-India Initiative, the symposium was jointly organised by Patna University, India and University of Chittagong, Bangladesh, in Patna, Bihar, India. The symposium deliberated on several issues related to river biodiversity of the region, various conservation measures adopted, and also looked at existing gaps that need to be addressed. The three-day symposium included two days of deliberations and one day field trip to the dolphin habitat in the Ganges, near Patna. The papers and posters presented were selected through an open call for submissions, facilitated by a joint team from Bangladesh and India. The four main themes of the symposium were 1) River Biodiversity Conservation: Issues and Opportunities 2) Higher Vertebrates 3) Fish and Fisheries, and 4) Plankton and Benthic Organisms. The publication of the Symposium Proceedings is an important step in bringing together the knowledge and experiences from Bangladesh and India. Expectedly this will help to draw up long-term trans-boundary conservation and management plans for riverine species and their habitats. The publication seeks to encourage representatives of civil society, academia, private sector, and policy makers in both countries to engage in extensive dialogue and information sharing. We hope that it would foster joint