Flash floods take place more frequently and less unpredictably. These floods causes quick damage to crops and property and are followed by relatively rapid recession. Haors in Bangladesh are important source of agriculture production for large number of vulnerable people. During winter, cultivated land of the area produces paddy with minimum efforts while during monsoon the same is turned into breeding place for open water fishery and hosting a wide range of water biodiversity.
Haors are important areas for Boro rice cultivation (a rice variety cultivated from December to May). This Boro is main economic sector is a largely mono-cropping agricultural system in haor. But early flash floods often wash away standing crops and people lose their harvest. Flood, especially at the brim of harvest make the farmers frustrated. They face a huge loss before few hours to three or four days to be yielding of the crops,
which is irredeemable.
Conventional practices
Earthen embankment of law height along periphery of the wetlands with structure at intersection of embankment and drainage canal was built to protect the Boro from flash floods. The embankment inundated and remains under water during monsoon. Construction of earthen embankments is a conventional practice for protecting people’s lives and homes, agriculture and infrastructures. Cases of successful and unsuccessful embankments are being observed across the country. Over the last few decades, nearly 13000km of flood and river embankments have been
repaired in Bangladesh.
Nearly 4,500 km of low-lying embankments along the small rivers, haors and canals. But, earthen embankments in Bangladesh are facing problems like erosion, breaching in every year. Low submersible height embankments obstruct the flash flood water for several days, so that people get time for harvesting before the land is completely
inundated. Bangladesh Water
Development Board (BWDB) has the key responsibility in protecting the present flood protection
structures in haor areas.
The country had experienced amplified occurrence of flash floods in the recent years of 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010 in the haor areas that damaged the main paddy crops of the region. People’s observation and experiences divulge that Boro paddy is damaged due to flash flood in the haor region once in
a three years interval.
According to the People of the haor areas, flash floods might attack haor areas in the coming weeks of March and April 2014.
Actions to be under taken
The relevant authorities, duty bearers particularly in the Ministry of Water Resource, Bangladesh Water Development Board BWDB and other actors could take into account the following steps in supporting farmers for safe harvesting of Boro crops in haor areas:
1) Prompt actions are needed by respective authorities and duty bearers to make new protections and to complete ongoing repairing work of earthen embankments/dykes in vulnerable spots of haor region in conjunction with community and local governments as soon as possible (before March 25). Any sorts of irregularities, dilemma might cause damages of crops and sufferings of the people due to early flash floods.
2) Appropriate allocation, rapid flow of fund and effective monitoring and supervision of these kinds of urgent activities should be ensured by authorities responsible at
different layers.
3) Role of the local governments and communities at the different stages of the work and flash flood situations needs to be emphasised,
supported and ensured by
authorities.
Long-term steps
1) It is felt that submergible embankment is economically smart interventions that help the people of the haor. But limitations such as outfitted difficulties of physical workings and weak management set-up for operation, maintenance and protection, environmental
consequences and lack of
engagement of people of the
interventions needs to be addressed effectively involving
key actors.
2) Impact minimising strategies such as the use of cropping patterns, which minimise revelation to loss and the setting up of non-agricultural income-generating activities, need to be promoted. Crop type and
pattern should be selected
according to susceptibility of flood; if possible effort should be given by concern agencies to find new variety of species, which have flash
flood resistance.
3) Any livelihood initiative in the haor areas has to take into consideration flood aspects/issues, so that the initiative does not give in, rather yield some amount of benefit to the target people. Involvement of the community and enlisting their inputs in the any kinds of program design and relevant issues affecting their lives and livelihood will make the intervention process easier and impact bearing.
4) Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in existing development works and future initiatives of different government departments and NGOs working in the area is a must. Concern authorities should develop disaster database, which is very important to carry out detailed study and planning. Government organisations and NGOs need to redesign their development programmes with the active participation of the most vulnerable communities to ensure that they maximise flood mitigation potential and incorporate traditional community coping practices which are fit technically, environmentally and economically.
5) The respective authorities at different level should strengthened capacity building initiatives of local government. A well organised and coordinated effort is needed to further strengthening local level planning, implementing decision making process and the allocation of resource to local government for flash flood proof programme in the vulnerable location. Proper resources from central government and others should be ensured by authorities and policy makers.
6) Suitable steps particularly structural measures in haor areas could be taken considering existing study recommendations on floods/flash floods management with proper cross validation.
Facilitates new study and action research for more durable solution in protecting Boro crops, properties and assets of haor areas might be a worthy step. Far-reaching river dredging programme should to be taken with community participation to remove the sediments from the riverbed deposited during flood to increase the water holding capacity of the drainage systems and to increase the water flow capacity.
The abandoned channels also need to be re-excavated to reduce the water-logging problem. The dredge sediment could be used to raise the level of land and infrastructures with proper planning in
consultation with the brave
people of Haor areas.
7) In forecasting Monsoon River floods of Bangladesh is in good form, but in forecasting flash floods a lot of gaps and limitations are observed. At this point improvement of present forecasting system is very much needed. Cooperation and joint steps with neighbouring countries could be explored by political and technical authorities in this regard.
Effective actions from relevant duty bearers and authorities in reducing upcoming flash flood risk would be treated as a momentous step for ensuring food security of a large number of people in haor areas which has economic and political dimensions both at local and
national level.
