Improving water security for the poor

Boat on a river in Bangladesh

Sustainable management of sedimentation risks in coastal rivers in southwest Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s Delta Plan 2100 identified river sedimentation and associated water-logging as one of Coastal Bangladesh’s main water security issues. 1.3 million people in Coastal Bangladesh have been impacted by severe waterlogging since the early 1990s, restricting key livelihood activities, reducing agricultural yields, and affecting drinking water quality. As part of the REACH programme, a research team from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) have characterized hydrodynamic processes and sediment transport dynamics in the area, with potential implications for different types of interventions. Recommendations include increasing freshwater flows by restoring upstream river-river and river-floodplain connectivity and reducing “repeated dredging” of the same area.

‘Our partnership with REACH recognises science has a critical role in designing and delivering effective policy and improving practice on the ground.’

KELLY ANN NAYLOR, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE (WASH) SECTION, PROGRAMME DIVISION, UNICEF

'Access to water is a defining challenge for the 21st century. The UK has already helped 43 million people to access clean water, but there is far more to be done.'

UK DEPARTMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PARLIAMENTARY UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE

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