Holding Back The Tide: Bangladesh To Dredge Rivers In Attempt To Slow Water & Soil Salinization

[hatrack]

The Bangladeshi government, as part of its all-out efforts to check climate change-induced salinity intrusion, will go for capital dredging in the country's major rivers shortly, a minister said Tuesday. Speaking at a seminar here on Tuesday, Bangladeshi Water Resources Minister Ramesh Chandra Sen said, "The government will go for capital dredging soon to ensure more navigability of the major rivers to check salinity intrusion."

The minister's remark came after experts in the seminar, organized by the Institute of Water Modelling (IWM), a trust established by the Bangladeshi government, said that salinity level in the water is apprehended to become 5 to 7 parts per thousand (ppt) by 2050, posing threats to food production.

They said a 60-centimeter rise in the sea level is apprehended in Bangladesh coastal zone by the same year that will submerge 18 percent of the nation's landmass. IWM Executive Director Emaduddin Ahmed said salinity will intrude more landward specially during dry season due to sea level rise.

Against this backdrop, Ahmed said augmented flow of fresh water in the major rivers in Bangladesh, the world's largest delta country, is vital for preventing salinity level to shield the country's agro-farming sector against climate change shocks.

EDIT

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90851/6816025.html

[Nederland]

1. This is not so far fetched

If the Dutch can create 1/5 of their country using dikes and levees, there is no reason Bangladesh can't save 1/5 of there country using the same methods.

[Braulio]

2. I don't think it's the same situation

The Dutch don't have a problem with water salinity because they have a pretty decent fresh water supply, they also happen to have a lot more money, and a lot less people. Dredging as they propose to do in Bangladesh is somewhat incomprehensible without having the visual data to understand what they intend to do, but it seems to me they'll lose the battle because the Indians are likely to use the water upriver anyway - India's population is growing.

Bangladesh is a basket case, they would be wise to cut back their birth rate now, before they go into full collapse mode, like say Haiti.

[pscot]

6. The Dutch have been working on their current

system of dikes for 80 years. The have 3 times the GDP and one-tenth the population, and they are Dutch, i.e, really good at getting things done.

[XemaSab]

3. I am not familiar with river morphology in Bangladesh

but would this not make the situation worse? :shrug:

[hatrack]

4. I can't imagine that the gradient amounts to much in the Ganges Delta . . . .

Two possibilities come to mind: increased siltation because of upstream deforestation and soil loss, and decrease in flow. Either could result in falling upstream volumes, allowing increased saltwater intrusion.

But, as you noted, :shrug:

[XemaSab]

5. I was thinking more along the lines of

underwater slumping leading to subsidence of the entire delta, which would in turn lead to increased salt water intrusion. :shrug:

[Dead_Parrot]

7. Dude, We're humans! We're awesome! We can manage a simple river delta.

Erm..

[XemaSab]

8. Fer shur!

http://calwater.ca.gov/index.aspx