River bank erosion could be curbed by forecasts

Damages and losses due to river bank erosion each year in the country could be minimised significantly through disseminating bank erosion forecasts, said experts yesterday.

They were addressing a seminar on "Riverbank Erosion Prediction 2015" organised by the Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services in the capital's Brac Centre Inn.

CEGIS has developed methods to predict morphological changes, including bank erosion of the Jamuna, Ganges and Padma rivers. The methods are being used since 2004 to predict bank erosion and morphological changes of these rivers.

Noted water expert Prof Dr Ainun Nishat said if the bank erosion forecasts could reach people living on river banks through local administration, it would be a step in the right direction to minimise losses from the erosion.

Criticising the role of Bangladesh Water Development Board, he said the organisation no longer has a good relation with the common people.   

Dr Maminul Haque Sarkar, deputy executive director of CEGIS, revealed the bank erosion predictions for 2015 at the seminar through a PowerPoint presentation.  

The predictions described the vulnerability of land, settlement, embankment, road, educational institutions, health centres, haat-bazaars and government and non-government offices due to bank erosion.

About the adverse consequences of bank erosion, State Minister for Water Resources M Nazrul Islam said the Jamuna devoured about 900 square kilometres of settlement over the last three decades.

"The Jamuna devoured some 1,300 hectares of farmlands during the same period leaving thousands of farmers destitute," he added.