Asian Center for Development with support from IUCN, Bangkok has agreed to complete a study on social-economic changes in the Meghna Basin over the past 20 years. This is part of the IUCN’s project called BRIDGE.
The Meghna is a transboundary river shared by India and Bangladesh. The total area drained by the Meghna River Basin is 82,000 km2, of which 47,000 km2 (57% of the total area) is located in India and 35,000 km2 (43% of the total area) is in Bangladesh. The Meghna Basin is notable for the number of transboundary tributaries it contains. At least 29 named rivers flow into the Bangladesh part of the watershed from India. In Bangladesh, the basin includes: the uplands of Sylhet, known for its extensive systems of wetlands and fisheries resources; the Chittagong Hills, the only hilly region in the country; and the Madhupur tract, which marks the boundary between the Brahmaputra and Meghna Basins. The Indian part of the basin includes six different north-eastern states of India: Meghalaya; Manipur; Mizoram; Nagaland; Tripura; and the Barak Valley in Assam.
Research objectives: Conduct macro analysis of socio-economic changes over time in the Meghna Basin and develop reports and policy briefs highlighting trends and main drivers of change in last 30-40 years (based on the availability of Data), starting from 1981, including:
- Changes in the population dynamics and occupational structure over time, focusing on the themes of Agriculture, Forest, Fisheries, Inland Navigation and other sectors dependent on water resources and rivers
- Broad features and drivers of changes in the agriculture, cropping patterns and practices such as fertilizer and pesticide use, and agriculture production and tradable items
- Understanding trends in economic loss and damage to agriculture and the fisheries sector due to water-related disasters
Presentations
Researchers in the project are:
Dr. A.K. Enamul Haque (Member of the Meghna Advisory Group)
Ms. Umme Marzana, Lecturer, EWU
Ms. Sarah Enamul Haque, Lecturer, EWU
