Accepted Papers - 3.pdf - UNESCO

will contribute to its overall development and will
ensure healthy life of the rivers in Bangladesh.
Lessons learned may be transferred to other part of
East and Southeast Asia with local adjustment.
Other Areas
Local Government Engineering Department
(LGED) undertook development, maintenance and
management of small scale water resources schemes
up to command area of 1000 hectare (ha) or less.
LGED implemented 280 against target of 300
subprojects under the first small scale water
resources development sector project (SSWRDSP)
during1995-2002. The completed 280 subprojects
are covering 165,000 ha of cultivated land that
benefit about 142,000 farm families (SSWRD
update of June 2005, LGED). In the second small
scale water resources development sector project
(SSWRDSP), LGED targets to implement 300
subprojects during 2002 to 2009 for providing
benefit of sustainable water management to about
180, 000 ha of cultivated land and to about 280,000
farm families. The second SSWRDSP activities are
grouped under broad heads; (i) mobilization of
beneficiary participation, (ii) community based
infrastructure development, (iii) water resources
oriented support programs, (iv) monitoring and
quality control, and (v) institutional strengthening
of small-scale water resources sector. Water
resources oriented support programs are based on
the principles of water harvesting for all over
Bangladesh through beneficiary participation and
institutional development for sustainable use of the
infrastructures.
Compartmentalization of Rivers, Water
Conservation and Opportunities for its Multiple
Uses
Rivers especially smaller rivers can be
compartmentalized to series of seasonal ponds
during November to May through appropriate water
conservation structures like weirs and rubber dams.
Bangladesh has river area of 12,790 square km
(WARPO 2000) of which about 1890 square km
have width between 25 to 100 meter. These narrow
rivers can be converted to temporary water
reservoirs with rubber dam or any other suitable
water conservation structures and will provide
additional water body of about 189,000 ha. Water
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conservation in the narrow rivers and irrigation and
drainage canals especially during the lean period
(November to May) will provide opportunities for
storing water over additional area of about 192,000
(189,000 + 2000 + 800) ha. With about one meter
depth, these water bodies can be used for fish
cultivation in addition to their normal use. Water
conservation structures on the rivers and irrigation
and drainage canals will also help in conserving
water in the adjacent low lying areas (beels). This
will further assist in increasing total water storage
capacity of the country. These water bodies, which
are not existing, at least in planned way can
contribute to groundwater recharge, development
of additional irrigation facilities during the dry
season and will also contribute to better
environment. Fisheries experts confirmed that these
seasonal ponds could be brought under profitable
fish cultivation program through stakeholder
participation and on an average, 0.5 to 1.0 ton fish
can be harvested per hectare of water body.
Moreover, water stored in the seasonal ponds/
riverbeds will be a continuous source for
groundwater recharge, which subsequently can be
used for irrigation using deep and shallow tubewells
without severe lowering of groundwater table.
Success of this approach in any river may be
replicated in other area of the country, which will
contribute to its overall development.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
Post monsoon river water can be stored to full
supply level through appropriate water conservation
structures in river basins. This will make the rivers
healthy, otherwise most of the rivers will remain
dead during later part of the dry season, February
to May. Water stored to the full supply level at the
end of the monsoon (end of October or early
November) will last till beginning of the following
monsoon and will conserve water for subsequent
use. Beels connected to rivers will have adequate
water during the dry season. These water bodies
will facilitate recharge of groundwater even during
the dry season and lowering of water table beyond
suction limit during later part of the dry season may
not occur. Irrigation facilities using stored surface
water will expand and groundwater based irrigation
will be more cost effective as pumping depth will
be reduced. Additional water bodies will also