CEGIS News

CEGIS has recently signed two contracts with the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) for conducting Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of coal-based power plants to be set up in the districts of Chittagong and Khulna. It is recommended in the Power System Master Plan, 2006 to install new 4,000 MW power plants by 2025 using coal fuel in view of the growing natural gas constraints. As part of the plan, the Government of Bangladesh/ BPDB has decided to add coal-fired steam power generating units of 2X(500-660) MW in Chittagong and Khulna with imported coal. There is also a future plan to set up another two units in each location.

The coal-fired steam power plants are expected to be most efficient and would cause minimum pollution with its super-critical steam parameters. The IEE and EIA will be carried out to comply with the environmental laws of Bangladesh and guidelines of the World Bank Group.

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CEGIS has recently signed a contract with the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) for the consultancy services for "Preparation of Position papers showing Sustainable Water Sharing Options of Common/Border Rivers". The findings are expected to assist decision makers in negotiating water sharing issues with India.

Under the study, a base map will be prepared showing the catchments and River Dependent Areas (RDA). The water availability of the nine rivers namely, Talma, Ghoramara, Dewnai-Jamuneswari, Buri Teesta, Sari-Gowain, Longla, Sutang, Sonai and Haora will be assessed along with the water demand in the RDA. Sustainable water sharing options will be developed with reference to the policy, plan and strategy of the Government and as per international norms and practices. A database and an information management system will also be created under the study. It should be noted that last year, the JRC had conducted scientific studies on 17 transboundary rivers namely the Teesta, Dharala, Dudhkumar, Manu, Khowai, Gumti, Muhuri, Feni, Surma, Kushiyara, Dhalai, Sonai-Bordal, Juri, Punarbhaba, Atrai, Karatoya and Mahananda. During the financial year 2010-11 the additional nine transboundary rivers have been selected for further study.

The study is expected to commence immediately and is scheduled for completion in 12 months. The work will be guided by reports of the Expert Study Group of the JRC and other previous studies carried out by the JRC, WARPO, BWDB and RRI.

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Mr Giasuddin Ahmed Choudhury, Executive Director, CEGIS attended the Third International Water Week held in Singapore from 28 June to 2 July, 2010. He accompanied Mr Ramesh Chandra Sen, Minister, Ministry of Water Resources, Government of Bangladesh to the event that brought together the best minds in the water world to discuss and discover new innovations and best practices from around the world.

The key area discussed at the forum this year was clean and affordable water, as it is realised that there is a more efficient and cost effective way of addressing water problems in a changing environment.

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The Ministry of Water Resources is going to evaluate the performance of the Food/Taka For Work (FFW/TFW) (Cluster) Project implemented by the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB). A contract agreement was therefore signed between the Ministry and CEGIS on 15 June 2010 for performance evaluation of 107 FFW/TFW schemes implemented by the BWDB during 2002-03 – 2006-07.

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A workshop on ‘Implementation of Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy Action Plan (BCCSAP) with special focus on the Southwest Region of Bangladesh’ was jointly organised by the Bangladesh Water Partnership (BWP) and CEGIS at the LGED Bhaban in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka on 3 June.

The Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy Action Plan (BCCSAP) is being implemented in the country since its adoption in 2009 by the Government of Bangladesh. It has been realised that the plan needs to give special attention to the southwest region given its vulnerability to natural hazards. The workshop placed due emphasis on the need for setting up a well-represented coordination body with involvement of the key ministries including the Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development Cooperatives to ensure effective implementation of the BCCSAP.

Click to see the pdf version of the Presentation... (File size 19 MB)

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A launching workshop on the Feasibility Study for Integrated Water Resource Management Project (IWMP) of Polder 34/2 in Bagerhat district was organised jointly on 24 May 2010 by the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), CEGIS and the Institute of Water Modeling (IWM). Mr. Ramesh Chandra Sen, Hon’ble Minister, Ministry of Water Resource, was the Chief Guest and Al-Haj Md. Mahbubur Rahman, Honorable State Minister, Ministry of Water Resource, was the Special Guest of the occasion.

The workshop was held in the Rampal upazila of Bagerhat district to inform participants about the aim and tentative planning for integrated water resource management options in the proposed and existing sub-project area under polder 34/2. The workshop was held specifically at upazila level for ensuring the participation of people directly dependent on the coastal eco-system of that area.

The event was chaired by Mr. Md. Habibur Rahman, Director General, BWDB. The main presentation of the workshop was given by Dr. Abu Taher Khandoker, Additional Director General, Planning, BWDB. Professionals of the BWDB, IWM and CEGIS as well as members of the local government and key informants actively participated in the workshop. Among other things, issues such as the need for proper monitoring and cooperation among agencies concerned were discussed by the local participants. They also expressed the hope that the proposed IWMP concept would improve the agricultural condition of the area by almost 50% thereby facilitating Aman rice production.

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A workshop entitled ‘Paradigm Shift in Agriculture : An Energy Saving Perspective’ was organised by CEGIS at the Spectra Convention Centre in Dhaka on 18 May 2010. Begum Matia Chowdhury, Hon’ble Minister for Agriculture, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh (GoB) graced the occasion as the Chief Guest while Mr Shaikh Md Wahid-uz-Zaman, Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, GoB, was present as the Special Guest.

At the workshop, which was chaired by Mr Giasuddin Ahmed Choudhury, Executive Director, CEGIS, two papers were presented. The paper ‘More Crops with Less Water’ was presented by Mr Ehsan Hafiz Chowdhury, Researcher and Director, Database and IT Division, CEGIS; and the paper ‘More Agricultural Production with Less Energy’ was presented by Mr Ahmadul Hassan, Researcher and Director, Research and Development Division, CEGIS.

More Crops with Less Water

- Ehsan Hafiz Chowdhury

Water is the most crucial factor in agricultural production. Precipitation deficiency is always the trigger, but it is the shortage of useful water in the soil, rivers and reservoirs, which is experienced as drought. In general terms, drought indicates dryness or lack of precipitation or water. The simplest definition of drought is: “any unusual dry period which results in a shortage of water”.

The changing hydro-metrological conditions and agricultural practices in Bangladesh have gradually converted it into a drought prone country. The growing imbalance between water demand and supply is expected to deteriorate further. Trends have become visible of both reducing water availability and increasing demand while many water "users" are becoming more sensitive to water shortage conditions (e.g., widely practiced HYV crops which are generally more sensitive to water shortage).

BARC and CEGIS initiated a project to update and upgrade the existing drought assessment methodology. The purpose was to support planning and management decisions, which would attempt to reduce the vulnerability of existing agricultural practices. The Drought Assessment Framework (DRAS) model developed by CEGIS has been tested in farms and research institutes (BRRI, BARI and BWDB) in different agro-ecological regions of the country. More than 8 tons/ha of paddy can be grown using 800-1000 mm of water in the research fields. The validation results show that using almost 50% less water, potential yield can be achievable. Click to see the pdf version of the Presentation... (File size 5MB)

More Agricultural Production with Less Energy

- Ahmadul Hassan

Two key issues were focused on the paper. These are, changing the mindset to “Aman is a rain-fed crop, but it needs supplementary irrigation” and increasing irrigation efficiency using the ‘Optimal Water Use’ method and subsequently reducing energy (electricity and diesel), which means more savings to the farmers.

By changing the mindset to Aman, production can be increased from the present 10 million ton to 17.5 million ton. Using the ‘Optimal Water Use’ method during Boro season, production can be increased from 18 to 29.25 million ton. In addition to that, it will save at least 500 MW of electricity and 37 crore litres of diesel in the Boro season. Click to see the pdf version of the Presentation...(File size 2MB)

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CEGIS has entered into an agreement with the Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Development Board (BHWDB) over the project ‘Preparation of Master Plan and Development of Database for Haors & Wetlands’ project. As per the agreement, CEGIS shall conduct two studies, one on the ‘Preparation of a Master Plan for Haor Areas under Component-1’ and the other on the ‘Development of an Integrated Haor and Wetlands Resources Database (IHWRD) under Component 2’.

CEGIS will look into the hydrological and hydro-geological characteristics and conditions as well as land-use patterns and water quality situation. Soil, fishery, forest, environment, eco-system and socio-economic trends will be studied. A detailed inventory will be prepared on haors and wetlands, their coverage during winter and floods, land use, flora and fauna, etc and a GIS and hydrological database will be created. Upazila-wise water resources maps and manuals will also be developed to facilitate project planners and local people in implementing development projects without harming the ecosystem. For monitoring purposes, a one dimensional hydrodynamic model will be developed covering all perennial water bodies of the country to guide wetland development and improvement. CEGIS will also propose designs for different types of structures needed for maintaining the wetlands.

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A seminar was jointly organised on 8 April 2010 by CEGIS and the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) to disseminate riverbank erosion prediction results for 2010. Mr Shaikh Md Wahid-uz-Zaman, Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, was Special Guest of the seminar.

Since 2004, CEGIS has conducted erosion prediction for the Jamuna, the Ganges and the Padma under different projects of the BWDB and WARPO funded by the Government of Bangladesh, Government of Canada, the ADB and the UNDP. The predictions, that are made one year ahead, are based on a method developed by CEGIS using dry season satellite images.

For 2010, CEGIS has predicted that around 1655 hectares of land and 7560 metres of district, upazila and rural roads along the Jamuna, the Ganges and the Padma may be eroded. It is also predicted that flood embankment may be breached at four locations along the banks of the Jamuna while 23 educational institutions, 2 marketplaces, 7 government offices and 7 health centers may be eroded this year. The districts predicted to be the most vulnerable to erosion in 2010 are Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Bogra, Sirajganj, Tangail, Pabna, Manikganj, Nawabganj, Rajshahi, Kushtia, Rajbari, Faridpur and Shariatpur.

The Secretary, MoWR and the Director General of the BWDB both stated that the technique developed by CEGIS was needed for resource saving. The discussants from different organisations such as WARPO, BWDB, BUET, DMB, RRI, UNDP, LGED, and different NGOs and social organisations mainly focused on the integration of CEGIS’ technology with their own available technology. All agreed that this riverbank erosion prediction tool will save the nation’s resources.

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The “Bangladesh Water Security Workshop-2010” was organised on 22nd February, 2010 in Dhaka to disseminate and share knowledge on issues, problems, management of flood, water resources and environment. The workshop was attended by the project partners namely Ritsumeikan University of Japan, CEGIS, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Bangladesh Water Partnership (BWP) and officials from Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) responsible for the city's development, Water Resources Planning Organization (WARPO), Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) and Centre for Global Change (CGC).

The presenters focused on flood management; water use and management; impacts of climate change on water resources and environment and possible solutions; adaptation policies; and policy approaches for wetland management in light of the experiences gathered both at home and abroad.

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To celebrate the ‘World Wetlands Day 2010’, the Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Development Board held a seminar titled ‘Impact of Climate Change on the Haor, Wetland and Environment’ in the hall room of the National Press Club on 2 February 2010. The event was organized with technical support from CEGIS.

Present on the occasion were Mr Ramesh Chandra Sen, Hon’ble Minister, Ministry of Water Resources as the Chief Guest and Mr Al-haj Md Mahbubur Rahman, Hon’ble State Minister, Ministry of Water Resources as the Special Guest. The seminar was presided over by Mr Shaikh Md Wahid-uz-Zaman, Hon’ble Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources. Major Md Golam Kibria Khan Choudhury (Retd), Director General, Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Development Board delivered the welcoming speech.Mr Giasuddin Ahmed Choudhury, Executive Director, CEGIS presented the keynote on the occasion. Among others, Mr Mohibur Rahman Manik, Member of Parliament (Sunamganj – 5) and Mr Abu Naser Khan, Chairman of the Save Environment Movement, spoke at the seminar.

The Hon’ble Minister, Mr Ramesh Chandra Sen emphasized the need for developing haor and wetland areas for the overall development of the country. He also mentioned that the government will be initiating a long-term plan for developing the haor area and that a high-level meeting will soon be held in this regard. Speaking about climate change impacts, the Hon’ble Minister of State, Mr Al-haj Md. Mahbubur Rahman said that if not addressed properly, the climate change impacts on the haor and wetlands will damage the water resources and wetlands of Bangladesh. Therefore, appropriate measures must be taken. The Hon’ble Secretary, Mr Shaikh Md Wahid-uz-Zaman briefed the audience about the ongoing activities on wetland conservation and management. He also talked about the development plans of the government on adaptation and mitigation of the impacts of climate change. Delivering the keynote, Mr Giasuddin Ahmed Choudhury, Executive Director, CEGIS mentioned that in December 2009 Bangladesh was identified at the Copenhagen Summit as the most vulnerable country to climate change. He also cautioned that according to the research findings of CEGIS, one metre of sea level rise would cause half a metre water rise in haor areas.

This well-timed seminar was covered in the popular daily newspapers and highlighted by the digital media of the country.

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CEGIS signed a contract on 3 December 2009 with Habitat for Humanity International to conduct an environmental damage assessment. This assignment aims to assess the present environmental status and level of contamination/ damage caused by the Titas gas field leakage in the Brahmanbaria area and to identify suitability of the location for human settlement.

The activities that will be carried out under the two-month project include: field measurement to assess the condition of air, water and soil; comparison of the field measurement with the standard measurement set up by the Department of Environment; a questionnaire survey to assess the social impact; and a report with indication regarding the state of environment and degradation of the project location and existing risks to public health.

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A contract was signed between CEGIS and Uttaran on 14 September 2009 for the period August 2009-July 2010. Under the contract, CEGIS will provide advisory and technical support to the preparation of a people’s plan of action for the management of rivers in the South West region of Bangladesh.

During the contract period, CEGIS will mainly provide services in areas related to environmental, social, institutional and water management as well as remote sensing and GIS support.

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CEGIS was honored by a visit from the Hon’ble Minister of State for Relief Disaster Preparedness and Refugees of the Government of the Republic of Uganda, Mr Musa Ecweru, on 10 September 2009. The visit, organised by UNDP Bangladesh, was part of the delegation’s tour of Bangladesh to learn how disasters are managed and information is coordinated and disseminated, as the Government of Uganda plans to adopt a National Disaster Management Policy and establish a National Emergency Coordination and Operations Centre.


The delegation visiting CEGIS comprised the Minister as well as Mr Martin Owor, Acting Commissioner, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees; Major General Julius Oketta, Director, National Emergency Coordination and Operations Centre; and Dr M Aminul Islam, Assistant Country Director (Disaster Management), UNDP Bangladesh.

The delegation was briefed on CEGIS’ activities by Mr Giasuddin Ahmed Choudhury, Executive Director of CEGIS. Senior professionals of CEGIS were present at this briefing. Mr Choudhury described the Center’s role in reaching the vulnerable community with information on disaster management, prediction, warning and preparedness. The Minister expressed deep appreciation of CEGIS’ technical expertise in disaster management, particularly its contribution in disseminating disaster prediction, warning and preparedness messages to the rural population in their own local language. He further expressed his belief that CEGIS’ experience in this field would help finalise the disaster management policy of his own country.

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An agreement for ‘Updating Agro Ecological Zones Data’ was signed between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and CEGIS on July 30, 2009. Under the study project the updating works would be initiated by obtaining climatic data from the Bangladesh Meteorology Department. The data would be utilised for preparing agro-climatic parameters of the Agro Ecological Zones (AEZ) database.

The study will determine the extent to which climate has changed in the past 25 years. A national level stakeholder workshop will be organised to share the study findings.

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The Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project (PMBP) and CEGIS signed a contract on 2nd August 2009 for GIS Support in the Land Acquisition and Resettlement (LA&R) Process. Under this project a GIS based Management System will be developed to provide assistance to PMBP in the process of LA&R. The task will be done through visualizing and generating various types of maps and reports by using high-resolution satellite images, Mouza maps and Joint Verification Data and other field information.

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Mr Ramesh Chandra Sen, Honourable Minister for Water Resources, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh paid a visit to CEGIS on 20 April 2009. The Additional Secretary Ms Riti Ibrahim along with some other officials of the Ministry accompanied him.

The Hon’ble Minister was briefed in detail on the activities of CEGIS by Mr Giasuddin Ahmed Choudhury, Executive Director. The senior professionals of the organisation were also present at that time. While interacting with them, the Hon’ble Minister expressed his deep appreciation of their valuable contribution to the natural resources management of Bangladesh. He emphasised the importance of the capital dredging of the country’s main rivers, as well as the sustainable river training works, particularly for the Jamuna, to keep the river at the minimum width. The Hon’ble Minister also stressed the need to complete the feasibility study of the Ganges Barrage in the shortest possible time so that its construction may be started.

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Dr Sarker has received his degree from the University of Nottingham, UK. His Ph.D thesis, titled ‘Morphological Response of the Brahmaputra-Padma-Lower Meghna River System to the Assam Earthquake of 1950’, proposed a working hypothesis that morphological changes in the Jamuna-Padma-Lower Meghna system have occurred in response to disturbance of the fluvial system by the Assam earthquake of 1950. The conceptual process-response model presented in the paper would help in planning how to manage future channel instability and mitigate its socioeconomic impacts for the benefit of floodplain dwellers and the nation.

Dr Sobhan has received his degree from the Wageningen University, the Netherlands. His Ph.d thesis, titled ‘Species discrimination from a hyperspectral perspective’ investigated a number of methods to discriminate plant species using hyperspectral remote sensing to confirm the main hypothesis that discrimination of plant species can be enhanced while using hyperspectral and high spatial resolution imagery.

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Bangladesh Water Partnership (BWP) and CEGIS jointly organised a two-day event over 3rd and 4th January 2009. On the first day, the event comprised a Regional Synthesis Workshop on Flood Disasters Management in the Ganges and Brahmaputra River Basins, which on the second day consisted of a follow up Meeting of the Regional Programme of GWP-South Asia on Coping with Climate Variability and Change through Partnership as well as a Discussion Meeting on South Asia Sub-Regional Document and progress on preparation of South Asia region for participation in the 5th World Water Forum. The event was held at the conference room of the LGED.

The Chief Guest at the inaugural session of the Regional Workshop, held on 3rd January, was Dr. Mohammad Ayub Miah, Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. The keynote paper was presented by Mr. Giasuddin Ahmed Choudhury, Executive Director, CEGIS. Mr Md Shahidul Hassan, President (Acting), Bangladesh Water Partnership and formerly Chief Engineer, LGED presided over the Inaugural Session. The welcome speech was delivered by Mr Tauhidul Anwar Khan, Member, Indo-Bangla Joint Rivers Commission and Secretary General, Bangladesh Water Partnership.

India, Nepal and Bangladesh presented their country study findings at the workshop. In these presentations the institutional arrangements for flood disaster management, needs, gaps and opportunities for improvement in regional cooperation in flood disaster management of the respective countries were presented. All three presenters emphasized on a basin wide approach and sharing of reliable flood information. At the conclusion of the workshop, the study findings were summed up by Mr Giasuddin Ahmed Choudhury.

The ‘Follow up Meeting of the Regional Programme of GWP-South Asia on Coping with Climate Variability and Change through Partnership’, held on 4th January, was chaired by Mr Sadar Muhammad Tariq, President, Pakistan Water Partnership and Co-chaired by Mr Giasuddin Ahmed Choudhury, Coordinator, Climate Change Project. In this session presenters from India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh described climate change and related concerns regarding their respective countries and also highlighted adaptation and mitigation options, which are currently practiced or may be adopted in the future.

During discussions, the Chairperson mentioned that the problems and concerns caused by climate change were similar in the region but that the adaptation and mitigation interventions varied from country to country. Several problems like flood, drought, glacier melt, sea level rise, salinity intrusion etc. are prominent in the region. In India, Pakistan and Nepal it is glacier melt, which is the greatest threat, whereas in Bangladesh flood, drought, sea level rise and salinity intrusion are the major threats.

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