Original Research Article Water-logging in the South-Western Coastal Region of Bangladesh: Causes and Consequences ABSTRACT Aim: To assess the causes and consequences of water-logging in the south-western coastal region of Bangladesh. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in the Department of Crop Botany, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh. Methodology: Qualitative and quantitative techniques to analyze both primary and secondary sources of data available from the various waterlogged areas of Jessore, Satkhira and Khulna districts have been applied. Comment [H1]: Grammatically faulty. Results: Riverbed siltation is leading to prolonged water-logging in some parts of south-west coastal Not well captured. region of Bangladesh in recent two to three decades. Inadequate runoff is the main source of the problem caused by the polders constructed under the Coastal Embankment Project during the sixties. Other human interventions to river flow and improper management of polder hydrology are also responsible for siltation of riverbed that disrupted the normal course of the rivers. The consequent Comment [H2]: Causes of water- losses in agricultural production due to the inundation of more than hundred thousand hectare crop logging not properly determined. land were noticed in Jessore, Satkhira and Khulna districts that directly affect the life and livelihood of about one million people. Water logging destroyed settlements, houses, latrines and source of safe drinking water, disrupted communication and the rhythm of daily life, killed-off fruit trees and reduced the number of domestic animals. People especially women and children, have contracted various waterborne diseases, as they are forced to use congested pollutes water. Marooned people cannot fulfill their basic needs due to the acute unemployment problem in the areas. Many farmers turned into fishers as agricultural lands are submerged. Hundreds of thousands lost their occupations and became destitute. The affected people demanded that the government should declare their places as an affected area and sought the effective government intervention to bring an end to the crisis. Keywords: Barrage, climate change, dam, embankment, polder, river, siltation, water congestion Comment [H3]: ????????????? 1. INTRODUCTION When the water table rises to a height that the soil pores become saturated, thus displacing the air, the land is said to be waterlogged. An area may be considered as waterlogged when the water level above the ground is too high that does not permit an anticipated activity, like agriculture. It occurs when the rate of accumulation of water through rainfall or some other means exceeds the combined rates of drainage, percolation and evapotranspiration of a catchment or when flood water submerges an area [1] followed by congestion of water by a boundary like embankment or polder. It arose in south-west coastal region of Bangladesh, since the end of the 20th century, which creates a serious hydro-geological crisis in the area. Nevertheless, the problem was slowly developed since initially that has been compounded from 2006 [2] and a maximum disaster was ever observed during the downpour of 2011 monsoon [3-5]. Thereafter, each and every rainy monsoon season in the area passes through water congestion. Due to the permanent water congestion, sudden flood is occurred during the rainy days. Therefore, water logging situation causes recurring flood in every monsoon. The cultivable land shrinks thus Comment [H4]: Is water congestion biodiversity threatens. The situation makes agriculture activities impossible. The prolonged water- being used here as a synonym of water logging? 1 logging has caused significant displacement presenting humanitarian challenges in safe water supply, sanitation, and shelter and food security. There are areas where people are compelled to live in waterlogged condition for nine months in a year; even many cultivated crop lands are permanently inundated losing valuable agricultural production especially rice and vegetables. Socio-economic and agricultural activities have largely been hampered due to water logging [6-7]. The situation reaches to an extremely vulnerable condition for the people as there is no other way out, but to live with water. Due to climate change, sea-level rise, storm surges, back water effect, sudden monsoon downpour etc are common, the situation is expected to worsen more to the future. Therefore, the root causes of water logging and its consequences are of prime need to measure. 2. METHODS AND MATERIALS The study was conducted in the Department of Crop Botany, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh. Qualitative and quantitative techniques to analyze both primary and secondary sources of data available from the various waterlogged areas (which were not previously waterlogged) of Jessore, Satkhira and Khulna districts have been applied. The tools used for primary data collection from affected villagers include Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and Case Studies. The primary data using those tools were collected from Sagardhari and Sufalakati unions of Keshabpur upazila (sub- district) of Jessore district, Tentulia and Tala sadar unions of Tala upazila of Satkhira district and Sachiadah union of Terokhada upazila of Khulna district (Map 1). Comment [H5]: Several factors are responsible for water-logging such as soil physical properties, precipitation (majorly rainfall) amount, topography and poor drainage. No data on any of these were collected. Map 1: Three water logging districts in south-west coastal region of Bangladesh. The areas for primary data collection were selected in consultation with Department Agriculture Extension (DAE)‟s officials. The most affected villagers or households were randomly selected with the help of the local administrative personnel. The FGDs were conducted to collect the views and opinions of local people on the various aspects of water congestion. Case studies based on 2 experiences of villagers were done to illustrate and identify key challenges to be addressed by government or and non-government agencies. Comment [H6]: This is not enough to establish or ascertain water-logging. See preceding comment. Consultation meetings were conducted with relevant government officials (Table 1). Consultation meeting was also conducted with NGO officials working in the locality. The government officials and NGO program staffs were contacted prior to the consultation, explaining the objectives of the consultation. The discussion was always done with institutional managers or chief of the office staff. Secondary data such as crop land areas, number of people and infrastructures like settlements, houses, roads etc affected by water logging were collected from government offices, newspapers, published and unpublished reports and by consulting with browsing on internet. Comment [H7]: ??????????? Table 1: Stakeholders of various ministries at different levels Ministry Department/ Implementing Implementing Implementing Officer Officer at Officers at Officers at local district level upazila level level Ministry of Agriculture Department of Deputy Director Upazila Sub-Assistant Agriculture (DD) Agriculture/ Agriculture Extension (DAE) Extension Officer Officer Ministry of Disaster Disaster District Relief Project Union Council Management and Relief Management and Implementatio Chairman Bureau/ Director Rehabilitation n Officer (PIO) General (DG) Officer (DRRO) Comprehensive Disaster Management Porgramme (CDMP)/National Comment [H8]: …Programme…? Project Director (NPD) Ministry of Water Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB)/Executive Engineers Resources working at the study sites (Divisional or Sub-divisional) Ministry of Environment Department of Environment (DoE)/Focal Point, Climate Change Cell and Forests (CCC) 3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 3.1. Causes of water-logging in south-west Bangladesh Comment [H9]: The causes were not scientifically established. See earlier The major cause for water logging can be explained as rising of riverbed due to siltation as influenced comment data that should have been by retardation of river flow, as well as deprivation of floodplain (low land, locally so called beel) to silt collected. Data collected should be presented in tabular and/or graphic forms. deposition due to embankment or polderization. The main source of river flow of the southwest rivers of Bangladesh is the Ganges. The river flow of that region historically was high and the ecosystem was rich with sweet water due to strong upstream 3 pressure. After death of Mathavanga (a branch of Ganges) during nineteenth century, the rivers of that area were detached from the main river Ganges. After that human intervention occurred in the Jessore-Kustia region. The other rivers such as Kobadak (locally Kopotakho), Bhairab and Betna (which had linkage with the Mathavanga River) and the depended people of those rivers were also begun to deprive form fresh water. Due to lack of upstream river flow, at the time of ebb-tide siltation occurred and river begun to lose their speed. The silts are started to deposit into those rivers. India government constructed Farakka barrage (it is only 16.5 km from the Bangladesh border) over the Ganges which drastically retarded river flow to the entire southern part of Bangladesh. Other local human interventions on the rivers are also considered for the siltation of riverbed. River course is a dynamic process which turns the motion of any agro-ecological system. In course