After the first annual conference of the Living Deltas HUB project, 08 members of the research team under Component 4 and the Project Management Board members organized a preliminary field trip to the Ganges coastal plain – Brahmaputra-Meghna belongs to Khulna state, Bangladesh.
The team surveyed a number of eroded river banks, coastal aquaculture sites and mangroves in Sunderban, Bangladesh, and conducted interviews with two groups of people living in the vicinity of Sunderban mangroves about their previous livelihoods,the environmental and social changes over time. In addition, the team also carried out a poll about locations to install equipment for measuring the intensity and height of ocean waves. However, it is not yet possible to identify suitable points for equipment installation, as an additional survey is needed. This preliminary survey helped the Team test the survey toolkit and find ways to suit each study site in the three delta areas of the Project. Survey results show that people living in coastal areas are faced with the problem of scarcity of fresh water and flooding. “Tidal river management” (TRM) is an indigenous management method in the southwest of the Ganges Delta in Bangladesh. This approach provides a high potential for expanding the area of agriculture with a positive impact on sustainable production and sustainable land use planning.
Source: Bui Ha Ly – GCRF Living Deltas Hub