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Study to enhance water security and climate resilience in the Bangladesh Delta

  • Study to enhance water security and climate resilience in the Bangladesh Delta
    Map of the Bangladesh (Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna (GBM)) delta. This GBM River system flows through five countries of the South Asian region i.e. Bangladesh, India, China, Bhutan, and Nepal. This figure also depicts the geographical locations of main river channels and tributaries.
    Credit: Environmental Research Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/ad796d

About the entity

University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is a public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in 1451, it is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world.

An international study led by the University of Glasgow is the first to define a safe operating space (SOS) for major rivers in the Bangladesh Delta, which will enhance resilience in one of the world’s most vulnerable deltas to global climate change.

Researchers at the University of Glasgow, Bangladesh University of Professionals, and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University and Riverine People, found that four out of ten rivers in the Bangladesh Delta exceeded the SOS and that the majority of river flow has been significantly altered, with the remaining six rivers given cautious status.

The study shares valuable scientific evidence that will inform science and policy related to transboundary water, and contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Bangladesh and South Asia.

The space just before the unsustainable state is defined as an SOS, within which humanity can safely thrive - anything beyond this is dangerous to humanity. Defining the SOS can provide an idea of the boundaries within which water management can operate safely to provide water security, and the sustainability of ecosystem services and development in Bangladesh.

Findings from the study have been shared in a paper published in the Journal Environmental Research Letters.

Dr Md Sarwar Hossain, of the University of Glasgow’s School of Social & Environmental Sustainability, led the research. He said: “The contribution of water to all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is critical to achieving SDGs in the context of climate change. This poses a major challenge as nearly 40% of the global population lives under water scarcity, including areas such as Bangladesh, which is one of the largest, most populous and climate-vulnerable deltas.

“Though Bangladesh is known as the land of rivers, the transboundary nature of rivers in Bangladesh mainly imposes a risk to water security, which is exacerbated due to global climate change. Therefore, without overcoming the challenges of water security and resolving transboundary water disputes, it is unlikely that resilience to climate change in the Bangladesh Delta will be enhanced, at a time when it is desperately in need of this.”

Key findings highlight the need for fair and equitable treaties, ecological restoration and technological solutions to maintain the river flow within the SOS for the social-ecological systems in the Bangladesh Delta. The analysis also reveals the challenges in maintaining SOS for the Ganges River, despite signing the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty in 1996.

In addition, several river flows have transgressed SOS, which highlights that existing management and treaties are not enough to ensure the sustainable management of water.

To address the declining trends of transboundary river flow, the report recommends that success stories such as the Mekong River Commission (mutual benefit through sustainable management and development of water and related resources, sharing accurate and appropriate technical information) and Indus Water Treaty (multi-tiered dispute resolution process, allowing neutral expert or an international court of arbitration to settle disputes, etc) could be adopted for bilateral and multilateral treaties with India including Nepal for Ganges, and China and Bhutan for Jamuna River, respectively.

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