The Ganges Basin Development Challenge

Increasing the resilience of agricultural and aquaculture systems in the coastal areas of the Ganges Delta

West Bengal, India

Bangladesh

Andes Ganges Limpopo Mekong Nile Volta

Coastal Zone of Bangladesh

Andes Ganges Limpopo Mekong Nile Volta

Coastal Zone of Bangladesh

- Among worlds poorest, most food insecure, vulnerable - >36 million (2001) - >760/km2 (2001) (>7.6 per 100 m x 100 m) - Too much water in rainy season - Lack of fresh water in dry season - Tidal surges - Cyclonic events (severe flooding, storm surges sea water intrusion)

Andes Ganges Limpopo Mekong Nile Volta

Salinity status of the coastal zone of Bangladesh

Andes Ganges Limpopo Mekong Nile Volta

Andes Ganges Limpopo Mekong Nile Volta

Coastal Zone of Bangladesh

Main constraints for agricultural production: Water stagnation (30-50 cm for > 1 month) in rainy season Soil and water salinity in dry season Lack of fresh water in dry season
24

High tide
River water Salinity (ds/m)
21 18 15 12 9 6 3 0

Low tide

Batiaghata Polder 30 1990-2007

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Month
Andes Ganges Limpopo Mekong Nile Volta

Polder 31

Kakdwip, W. Bengal

Polder 43/2/F

Polder 30

Andes Ganges Limpopo Mekong Nile Volta

Polder 31

Polder 43/2/F

Polder 30

Andes Ganges Limpopo Mekong Nile Volta

Selection of the study area

Activities/Output

Polder 31

In the early sixties and seventies, 139 polders (of which 49 are sea-facing) were constructed to protect low lying coastal areas from tidal flood & salinity intrusion.
Polder 43/2/F Polder 30

Andes Ganges Limpopo Mekong Nile Volta

Polder 31

Polder 43/2/F

Polder 30

Andes Ganges Limpopo Mekong Nile Volta

River

Inlet to sluice gate

Polder 31

Sluice gate on river side

Flushing gate inside the polder

Sluice gate inside the polder Polder 30

Andes Ganges Limpopo Mekong Nile Volta

River

Inlet to sluice gate

Polder 31

Polder 30

Sluice gate on river side

Flushing gate inside the polder

Sluice gate inside the polder Polder 30

Andes Ganges Limpopo Mekong Nile Volta

River

Inlet to sluice gate

Polder 31

Sluice gate on river side

Sluice gate inside the polder Polder 30

Andes Ganges Limpopo Mekong Nile Volta

River

Inlet to sluice gate

GOAL OF THE GBDC

Reducing poverty, improving resilience, through improved 31 Polder water governance and management and intensified and diversified agricultural and aquaculture Sluice gate the coastal systems in brackish water of on river side Ganges.
Sluice gate inside the polder Polder 30

Andes Ganges Limpopo Mekong Nile Volta

River

5 research projects - expected outcomes

Develop, evaluate, and adapt new and improved cropping Inlet to sluice gate and aquaculture systems (G2 ) 2 Use of suitability domain maps as a decisions support tools (G1) 31 Polder 3 Better polder governance through reduced conflict between fishermenSluice farmers (G3) and gate on river side 4 Understanding of the key external drivers of change in water resources- (G4) Sluice gate 5 Establish a policy framework for scaling up/out of inside the polder technologies to enable changes in HH of Ganges coastal zone (G5 + other Gs) Polder 30
Andes Ganges Limpopo Mekong Nile Volta

Focal study areas in Bangladesh

Inlet to sluice gate

Polder 31

Sluice gate on river side

Sluice gate inside the polder Polder 30

Andes Ganges Limpopo Mekong Nile Volta

River

Cropping Systems

Even with polders Main crop is still single aman rice Inlet to sluice gate Aman late Rabi e.g. sesame, grass pea (low yielding, low value)
Traditional Rice Polder 31 (2-3 t/ha)

Sluice gate on river side Traditional Rice (2-3 t/ha)

Sesame (0.5-1.0 t/ha) Sluice gate inside the Mar Apr May Jun polder Polder 30

Andes Ganges Limpopo Mekong Nile Volta

River

New Cropping Systems Development

With new varieties - Short duration - Non photoperiod sensitive - Salt tolerance Sesame-Aman-F = 3-4 t/ha Cropping 31 Polder systems research Boro-F-Aman = 11-13 t/ha On f arm water management Aus-Aman-Rabi = 12-42 t/ha - On farm storage Sluice gate on river side - Rainfall Sluice gate inside It is possible to have 2 or 3 crops per year which can avoid the salinity and overcoming the water shortage inpolderdry season the
Polder 30

Andes Ganges Limpopo Mekong Nile Volta

New Cropping Systems

D
25 Nov 5 Dec

M
5 Apr

1 May

Boro (140-145 d)

River water Rainfall ~1500 mm leaching EC5-15 dSm-1 Polder 31 soil salinity down

River water EC 5-15 dSm-1

Polder 30 Aus-Aman-Boro Cropping System

New Cropping Systems

River M

J
30 June

N
15 Nov

A
15Apr

10 Apr

Aus (100-105 d) 10 July

T. Aman (130-140 d) 1 Dec

Rabi (130-140 d)d) Rabi (130-140

River water EC 5-15 dSm-1

Rainfall ~1500 mm leaching down soil salinity

River water EC 5-15 dSm-1

Polder 30 Aus-Aman-Rabi Cropping System

River
A M J

Constraints to New Cropping Systems

Aus (100-105 d)

T. Aman (130-140 d)

Rabi (130-140 d)

Polder 31

Deep flooding at the beginning of & during rainy season constrains the establishment & performance of aman rice, & adoption of modern high yielding varieties
Andes Ganges Limpopo Mekong Nile Volta

Prolonged water logging at the end of rainy season delays establishment of rabi crop; problems ofPolder 30 drought/ salinity/water logging & damage from early monsoon rains

 To realize the new cropping system, it is crucial to improve the drainage of the polders Can drainage be improved? Yes
Polder 31 High Tide
1-2 m

River

How to Adopt New Cropping Systems?

Embankment

Land Surface Sluice gate

Low Tide

2-3 m

Polder 30

Andes Ganges Limpopo Mekong Nile Volta

River Bed

River

Re-assess the Role of Polders in New Cropping Systems

Previous role: salinity and tidal surge prevention Now with new cropping systems, the polders have additional roles Water supply and storage Drainage New function: polder has to be
treated as one water management unit
Andes Ganges Limpopo Mekong Nile Volta

Polder 30

River

G2 - Productive, profitable, resilient agriculture & aquaculture systems

Polder 30

Andes Ganges Limpopo Mekong Nile Volta

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

G2 - Productive, profitable, resilient Objectives Rice varieties agriculture & aquaculture systems River a. validate new varieties suitable for various cropping systems in a range of environments (salinity, water stagnation) b. initiate seed distribution & dissemination in study areas Rice-based cropping systems Develop & disseminate more productive, profitable, resilient, & diversified rice-based cropping systems (including riceaquaculture in saline areas) Homestead production systems Identify management practices to enhance the productivity & profitability of homestead production systems Year-round aquaculture systems Develop & disseminate more productive, profitable, resilient & diversified brackish-water aquatic production systems for zones too saline for agricultural crops Polder 30 Recommendations Produce technology & policy recommendations for up- & outAndes scaling Ganges Limpopo Mekong Nile Volta

River CPWF Innovation Project

G2 - Productive, profitable, resilient agriculture & aquaculture systems

G2 partners

Other Gs Patuakhali Sci. & Tech. Uni. Bangladesh Agr. Uni.

Andes Ganges Limpopo Mekong Nile Volta

Jahangir Alam

River North 24 Parganas

G2 - Productive, profitable, resilient G2 sites agriculture & aquaculture systems Polder 30 trials &
study watershed Patuakhali Sci & Tech University Polder 3 trials

South 24 Parganas

Polder 43/2/F trials

West Bengal, India

Bangladesh