Floodplain Action Plan (FAP) 17: Bangladesh ; Review Mission

The Flood Action Plan of the Government of Bangladesh [GOB] was developed following the disastrous flooding of the country in 1987 and 1988. The long term aims of the plan are to provide a permanent solution to the recurrent flood problem and thereby to create an environment for sustained economic growth and social improvement. The stated objectives of the Government of Bangladesh with respect to the FAP are to:



-safeguard lives and livelihoods;



-improve argro-ecological conditions to increase crop production;



-enhance development of public facilities, commerce and industry;



-minimise potential flood damage.



The UK Government offered to fund Component 17 of the FAP: the Fisheries Studies and Pilot Project; a study of the fisheries of the country, their dependence on the present flooding regimes and the likely effects of flood control on floodplain fisheries and the people dependent on those fisheries.



The activities to be carried out under FAP 17 comprise:



-the determination of the social and economic benefits of the floodplain

fisheries sector and evaluation of the environmental changes to be brought

about by flood protection and drainage works constructed under the concept of

controlled flooding;



-the study of fish and shrimp production in selected floodplain water resource

systems affected by existing Flood Control; Drainage/Irrigation or planned

future flood control and drainage works;



-the evaluation of migratory movements, population dynamics and location of

spawning grounds of major fish species, that will enable an assessment of the

effects of controlled flooding on species of commercial or environmental

significance;



-Aquaculture and Stocking Pilot Projects to develop fish stocking and impact

mitigation measures to ensure continued high levels of fish production from

flood protected areas.