Study of changing water conflicts and their implications for water security in polder-29

Abstract

Water conflicts at the local level have received less attention globally as well as in Bangladesh and have comparatively been less researched. Local level water conflicts, mediated by hydrological, social, economic, institutional, and environmental drivers, are often complex in nature and intensify or change dimensions from one type to another, often deepening social inequality. Hence, these issues warrant more attention from policy makers and water managers. The issues are more prevalent in southwest coastal Bangladesh due to susceptibility to hazards, land use changes, large scale interventions, and conflicting nature of water use practices. This study aimed at identifying the spatial and temporal dynamics of water conflicts and their drivers in a southwest coastal polder, namely Polder-29, and evaluated roles of water security programs and institutional systems in mitigating conflicts. The methodology included application of PRA tools and household survey data to map temporal and spatial variation of drivers and the resulting conflicts, land use change analysis to examine changing nature of conflicts with time, hydrological analysis to elucidate spatially varied nature of conflicts, and application of PRA tools and stakeholder diagramming to map institutional structure, roles, and responsibilities, and to investigate ways to mitigate conflicts. Eight different water conflicts were identified, which include large scale shrimp farming vs agriculture, agriculture vs saltwater shrimp, agriculture vs small-scale freshwater gher, u/s vs d/s conflict, policy level conflicts, institutional conflicts, user vs environment conflicts, and conflicts due to land use change. These conflicts are highly diverse in nature and vary spatially and temporallywith different livelihoods and land use practices. Agriculture vs large-scale brackish shrimp farming was the dominant conflict in the south in 1990s. Even after the exodus of large-scale shrimp farming, this type of conflict is still prevalent in the form of agriculture vs small-scale saltwater shrimp, together with emergence of newer conflicts, e.g., institutional conflicts, and user vs environment conflicts. Marginal and landless people have been most affected by brackish shrimp farming. The northern part saw an extensive increase in small-scale freshwater ghers, leading to discords between farmers and gher owners. Blocked canals by ghers have hampered irrigation and have disrupted hydrological connectivity, resulting in silting up of drainage canals, water congestion, loss of fish biodiversity, and reinforcement of pre-existing conflicts between u/s vs d/s resulting from topographical differences. Institutional conflicts mainly occur between ‘O&M committee’ under the WMA and informal ‘beel committee’ dominated by local elites and powerful groups, and between LGIs and O&M committee. Major conflicts stem from the control of sluice gates and the drainage canals, with WMGs yet to get control of sluice gates in several sub-catchments and LGIs and local powerful groups getting involved in leasing the sluice gate and canals. While engagement of WMGs in micro-credit and other economic activities is important for their sustainability, strong WMGs form the basis for effective and sustainable water management. Water management has not received as much attention in all areas as other economic activities did, which incapacitates many WMG members as they are unaware of their roles and responsibilities in terms of water management.Also, LGIs’ participation in WMOs’ activities has been less than expected, although there is evidence of more effective planning and design of water management in one sub-catchment via effective sharing of information and interaction between WMOs and LGIs. To mitigate conflicts, the WMGs, O&M committee and WMAs need to be more closely involved in decision-making and other important processes and interacting with other stakeholders, with LGIs supporting both in decision making and implementing process. A pre-requisite is well-functioning water management infrastructures, to be achieved via routine and periodic maintenance by O&M committee and major maintenance by BWDB. Continuous monitoring of WMOs should be conducted by BWDB with the help of local government. Priority-based conflict mitigating programs, proper positioning of stakeholders according to their priority, roles and responsibility, strengthening human capacity through proper training and strengthening livelihood groups are essential in mitigating local level water conflicts in Polder 29.