Governments pledge to protect water bodies in their election manifestos, but none promises to reclaim wetlands that have already been grabbed and turned into townships, said Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) and former environment adviser to the interim government, on Saturday. 

She made the remarks at the launch of the book Urban Wetlands in Peril: Uncovering the Socio-economic, Governance, and Legal Challenges in Bangladesh at the Council Building of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) on Saturday.

Rizwana said the government was talking about developing satellite cities around Dhaka, raising questions about where the land for these projects would come from.

“To develop satellite cities, either wetlands will have to be filled up or agricultural land will have to be filled up. This needs to be clarified,” she said.

Dr Mohammad Shakil Akther, a professor at BUET’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning, presented the findings of the research papers included in the book at the event.

He said the book contains 14 research papers involving 31 researchers from academia, the media and professional fields.

The presentation showed that an analysis of changes in wetlands in Dhaka, Chattogram and Rajshahi found that Dhaka had the highest rate of wetland loss. A similar trend was observed in Chattogram and Rajshahi. The researchers attributed the loss and encroachment of wetlands to unplanned urbanisation, weak enforcement of laws and inadequate monitoring.

The research also found that around 1,139 kilometres of the proposed blue network under Dhaka’s Detailed Area Plan (DAP) had been encroached upon by influential political figures. It further highlighted how certain provisions in planning documents and policies create opportunities to legitimise wetland encroachment in ways that protect the interests of wealthy and influential groups.

Highlighting the social and environmental consequences of wetland loss, Shakil Akther said it was undermining livelihoods, land productivity and ecosystem services. He also pointed to declining groundwater levels and a reduction in above-ground biomass density in Dhaka. Marginalised communities are losing their livelihoods, forcing many to change occupations, while some are being displaced.

On the role of the media and civic movements, he noted that the media had played a significant role in raising awareness among citizens and policymakers. However, the research also found that some media owners and leaders had benefited from wetland grabbing. Traditional media had, at times, enabled the transformation of wetlands into so-called “developed areas”.

Speaking at the event, BUET Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mohammad Shariful Islam described the book as a timely publication and stressed the need for further research on water bodies.

“This is a timely publication on water bodies. More research is needed on this issue. Water bodies are being filled up in various ways,” he said.

Dr Ishrat Islam, a professor at BUET’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning, delivered the welcome address.