Bangladesh hit by cyclone Mahasen

Yesterday Bangladesh was hit by cyclone Mahasen, which made land fall in the region Patuakhali - Bhola - Chittagong. Bangladesh newspapers indicate that so far 10 persons have been killed and about a million have left their homes in search of shelter. Interesting to think about this in the context of the slow onset diasters vs sudden disasters. How to prepare for an event of such magnitude, when knowing that definitely it will happen every few years. And even then it comes as a surprise...



(source: www.bdnews24.com)

See also: http://www.dutchwatersector.com/news/news/2013/05/evacuation-to-embanked-shelters-started-as-cyclone-mahasen-approaches-coast-of-bangladesh-and-myanmar/

TRM News: Is Bhabodah going to be water logged again??

The River Shri (also called Hari) will no longer flow in coming days – an old farmer opined by last January, 2013. People, living villages near Beel Khuksia informed that in this year from mid January they found huge sedimentation in the river. Siltation in river bed has already been restarted on the upstream of Shri Bridge within few days after closing the free tidal movement towards beel Khuksia (the wet land at Keshobpur upazila under Jessore District in Bangladesh where Tidal River Management (TRM) was run over last 6 years). During end of December 2012, local people closed the embankment cut by standing against to the Government authority. They said that the proposed time to implement TRM in beel Khuksia has been over and they want to start cultivation in the beel from this year. They think, this is the high time to go TRM to beel Kapalia, the next selected TRM basin in the upstream of the Shri catchment. But the authority (i.e BWDB) has never been able to start TRM in beel Kapalia yet due to public demonstration on last June 2012. So, now the river has no place to spread out the silt load, it carrying from the Bay. According to BWDB and concern experts, if TRM will not be started immediately at beel Kapalia or any other beel near Bhabodah, it will be difficult to keep alive the river Shri/Hari-Mukteshwari and the surrounding area will go to be water logged again.

In beel Kapalia, one community group with some NGOs are aware about the upcoming stress on the river but another group are not. In this situation, a public meeting was held near Bhabodah sluice gate on 28 January 2013 where people committed to open the embankment near the Bhabodah gate and connect river to beel Kapalia within two weeks by self labor (Daily Prothom Alo, 5 Feb, 2013). But, the second group with marginal farmers oppose to install TRM in that beel during this season because they just finished Boro cultivation in the beel. Finally, the first group was going to open the embankment to allow river flow to beel Kapalia at mid night on 3 February. They cut 200 ft embankment. On next morning (4 February), the opposition group started to close the cutting point. That time two groups fought there!! It is reported that one person, Mr. Halim of Pachakori village at Monirampur upazila was injured (by bullet), though police said there was no shooting. The BWDB act was also no more focused there. 

However, the reality is that the people of beel Kapalia (especially small farmers) will lose their Robi crop (winter crop is their major practice in this low land) if tidal water goes to beel just now. One the other hand, TRM should be started immediately otherwise the life in this Bhabodah area and the entire Hari-Muktheswari catchment will start suffering more again by coming monsoon.    

Golden Artery Nature - looking for water

On the 29^th of January I witnessed a 2,5 hour discussion in De Balie on the value and future of nature in relation to water management. It was called 'golden artery nature' in relation to water. And yes, you can taste some disappointment here, because interaction with the audience was virtually absent – no invitations for questions, feedback, comments etcetera from the people, who took the trouble to travel to Amsterdam. Anyway - you’ll find the full podium-monologue via the recordings:

The stories were quite interesting and strongly related to my research themes. The NGO Natuurmonumenten organized this debate. Against the background of reduced investments in the Ecological Structure (the policy plan to create nature reserves and connect them throughout the Dutch delta), and I would also not be surprised, about the abolishment of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries, Natuurmonumenten intends to explore future and progressive collaboration with the water sector. Not only to work on nature conservation, but also to see how nature can be beneficial or supportive in water management.
Huib de Vriend (director Ecoshape) and Katheleen Poels (Royal Haskoning DHV) gave a very complete overview of projects and initiatives in the Dutch delta, that fall into the broader ecological conceptualization of water (and flood) management. The examples ranged from nature-inclusive (more room for the river) to nature-based (ecoshape) solutions. They both concurred that the incorporation of ecosystems dynamics and functions has taken a flight during the last years – the projects working in the line of thought of Ecoshape, now outnumber the formal Ecoshape projects. Classifying the projects based on landscapes, as Katheleen did, comes very handy in understanding which types of projects could be applicable to which kind of landscapes – whether it would be in the Dutch, Bangladesh, or Vietnamese deltas.

My short talk over drinks with Frans Vera, one of the authors of the Plan Stork (in turn one of the landmark publications that supported the ecological conceptualization in flood management), was also very interesting. He agreed with the ecological conceptualization 'movement' in water management and found my classification of nature-inclusive and nature-based approaches to floods appropriate and useful for my research.

Bird Paradise

Yesterday it was announced that the Dutch Government is investing 30.000.000 Euro in a plan to create a new Island in the Markermeer. The island will become an "unequalled bird paradise!".

Check the animated impression of the island below. A shame that they forgot to ask sir. David Attenborough for the voiceover... (or, in line with my last post, use Elbow's - "the birds" as the soundtrack)



What will be the next step? An island that serves as an "unequalled paradise" for humans?

Scholar-Songpop?

How nice to once in a while find nice references to (pop)songs in academic literature. Makes you think scientists might be human after all. Today I started reading a paper on the role of future scenarios which started like this:

“Unlike many environmental scientists (and Fleetwood Mac), most social scientists do not think yesterday has gone and do not much want to think about tomorrow—at least not in their work”

Pulver and VanDeveer 2009 in Global Environmental Political.

Another one that I really like was a bit more hidden. Anna Wesselink et al in their “Dutch Dealings with the Delta” (2007, Nature and Culture) sneaked in Paul Simons:

“I have squandered my resistance for a pocket full of mumbles, such are promises”.

Does anybody know any other examples?