Management of conflicts between irrigation and fisheries in a selected water resources project

Abstract

In many area, of Banglade,h, heels Or shallow wetlands are dewatered or drained lo allow dry season agricu lwre, Structural intervention, inclucling embankments and ,Iuice gates are often inlroducecl for this purposc, with tile main objertive to increa<;ecrop productiou with higher econumic return to thc farmel's who are relatively strong in tile commonily POWCl'structurc. However, this arrangemem aclversely affects fishcries. ecolYltem and their livelihood support in the short and long terrn,;. S" the water u,e conflicts helween dry season agriculture and fisheries are almost inevitable. Tile conf1iets IOl'Cmore complex where the open acCeSSfisheries resources are limited due to intervention of the aquatic ecosystem. Even wilhin a participatory proce,s of decisionmaking for such interventions, the needs and priorities of the fishing communities are often rnal'girmli7ed, mo,lly because of their weak position in (he community. Based on a socio-technical approach, lhi, lhe,i, provides an understanding of the conflicts betwcen agriculture and fisheries due to structurat intervenlions in a sclccted water reSOurces dcvelopment project. Social survey and stakeholder analysis through FODs and interview, witll dIfferent groups including farmers, fishermen and wOmen revealed the differenc,'.' in their realities and identified thc conflicts by assessing the ilupact of project i"tCl'Vcntlons on irrigated agriculture. fi,heries, ecosystem and livelihood support. An apparent di.,contem prevail, among the less powerrul fishing conlillunlty as their needs, pnorities and atternate livelihood options Ilavc not bcen propcrly addre,scd in the projcct formutation proce". Technical analysis rcvealed confltcting watcr requirements in the dry ~ea,on for irrigcited agriculture, fislleries and aquatic ecosystem, Thi, ,[utiy also aHempted to identify a fea,ible platform for conflict rc,ol"lion, Two stakeholcler workshops were arrangcd to understand the potential aren, ancl opportunities for conflict reduction, AlthougIJ such worbhops or meeting' may be ,ery useful to tlnd agreeable mitigation meaSureS whcre tllc social power structurc is skewed. participalion of the local government in this proce% and policy intervcntions are essentlal to reduce the conl1icts.