Sharing the Ganges
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Sharing the Ganges: Water Conflict Between India and Bangladesh Macalester College – St. Paul, MN Brianna Besch • The Ganges runs 2,500 miles with a basin of 9,243 miles² shared between India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China² • The Barrage diverts water into the Baghirathi-Hooghly River to flush out silt and increase navigation accessibility to Calcutta. • No further agreements were reached from 1988-1996 • India withdrew 40-45,000 ft³/s from the Gangues every dry season of this period⁶ • In 1996 the two countries reached a 30 year treaty • This treaty dictates that Bangladesh receive a minimum flow of 35,000 ft³/s from January to May • The relationship created by the 1996 treaty resulted in further agreements between India and Bangladesh • Increased erosion rates and sedimentation • Increased salt water intrusion •More sever flooding during the monsoon season •Direct damages are estimated to be three billion US dollars⁸ Background on the Ganges River and Surrounding Area The Farakka Barrage Negotiations Between India and Bangladesh Consequences of the Barrage Works Cited 1, 2: Encyclopædia Britannica Online. “Ganges River”. Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Accessed October 31 st 2009. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/225359/Ganges-River 3: Sarkar, S. K., A. Bhattacharya, and B. Bhattacharya. 2003. "The river Ganga of northern India: an appraisal of its geomorphic and ecological changes". Water Science and Technology : a Journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research. 48: 121-128. 4: Chaturvedi, M. C., Srivastava, V. K. 1979. “Induced Groundwater Recharge in the Ganges Basin”. Water Resources Research. Vol. 15 No. 5. 1156-1166 1 • The Ganges/ Brahmaputra system has the third largest discharge and largest sediment load in the world, 1,086,000 ft³/s and 1.84 billion tons a year respectively 1 • Bangladesh experiences widespread flooding during the monsoon season • Droughts are common in the dry season when the Ganges’ flow into Bangladesh is only 55,000 ft³/s •Water is desperately needed in the dry season for crop irrigation • The source of the Gangues lies in the Himalayas • It is fed mainly by glacial melt from April to June • Flow is severely seasonal • Heaviest flows occur during monsoon months, June to October, which bring 85% of all rainfall to the area ⁴ • In 2003 the basin was home to 405 million people, 346 in India, 19 in Nepal, 40 in Bangladesh³ Map of the Ganges’ Basin Encyclopedia Britannica Inc. http://media‐ 2.web.britannica.com/eb‐media/45/5945‐004‐D91141E7.gif Map of the Ganges River and Tributaries Bandyopadhyay, Jayanta , “Water Management,” pg 413 Brahmaputra and Ganges Rivers: Discharge Hydrographs, 1981 Bandyopadhyay, Jayanta , Water Management, pg 420 5: Bandyopadhyay, Jayanta. 1995. "Water Management in the Ganges-Brahmaputra Basin: Emerging Challenges for the 21st Century". International Journal of Water Resources Development. 11 (4): 411-442. 6, 7: Khan, Tauhidul Anwar. Management and sharing of the Ganges. Natural Resources Journal. Vol 36, no. 3. 06/02, 1997. Pg 455-479 8: Mirza, M. Monirul Qader, R. A. Warrick, and N. J. Ericksen. 2003. "The Implications of Climate Change on Floods of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna Rivers in Bangladesh". Climatic Change. 57 (3): 287-318 • India and Bangladesh were unable to reach a water agreement 1975 • In 1976 Bangladesh failed to involve the United Nations • In 1977 a five year water sharing treaty was reached • This treaty gave Bangladesh 80% of Ganges flow during the dry season • This was followed by two memorandums of understanding lasting through 1988, these did not include a minimum flow into Bangladesh. • The Barrage was commissioned in April 1975 • This Barrage gave India control over Ganges flows into Bangladesh during the dry season • In the spring of 1975 India withdrew 40,000 of the 55,000 ft³/s of water from the Ganges •There were disastrous consequences on Bangladesh • In 1951 India announced intentions build a Barrage across the Gangues⁵ 10km from the Bangladesh border Google Maps, http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF- 8&rlz=1T4SKPB_enUS343US344&hl=en&tab=wl The Farakka Barrage http://www.sos‐ arsenic.net/images/faraka1.jpg Areas dependent upon Ganges Flow according to (a) the Government of India and (b) the Government of Bangladesh. Bandyopadhyay, Jayanta “Water Management”, pg 436 On India On Bangladesh • Little silt was flushed from the Baghirathi-Hooghly River • Calcutta has declined as a port city⁷ • Increased salinity of soil and water • Decline of soil quality and crop yields • Shrinking fish population • Decline of fishing villages and loss of a livelihoods • Decline of mangrove forest http://www.idrc.ca/uploads/user- S/10323813490nrj10.jpg Flooding in Bangladesh http://www.thedailystar.net/magazine/2009/02/02/sp2.jpg
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Sharing the Ganges
Transcript of Sharing the Ganges
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Sharing the Ganges: Water Conflict Between India and Bangladesh
Macalester College St. Paul, MN
Brianna Besch
The Ganges runs 2,500 miles with a basin of 9,243 miles shared between India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China
The Barrage diverts water into the Baghirathi-Hooghly River to flush out silt and increase navigation accessibility to Calcutta.
No further agreements were reached from 1988-1996 India withdrew 40-45,000 ft/s from the Gangues every dry season of this period In 1996 the two countries reached a 30 year treaty This treaty dictates that Bangladesh receive a minimum flow of 35,000 ft/s from January to May The relationship created by the 1996 treaty resulted in further agreements between India and Bangladesh
Increased erosion rates and sedimentation Increased salt water intrusion More sever flooding during the monsoon seasonDirect damages are estimated to be three billion US dollars
Background on the Ganges River and Surrounding Area
The Farakka Barrage
Negotiations Between India and Bangladesh
Consequences of the Barrage
Works Cited1,2:Encyclopdia Britannica Online. Ganges River. Encyclopdia Britannica. 2009. Accessed October 31st 2009. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/225359/Ganges-River3: Sarkar, S. K., A. Bhattacharya, and B. Bhattacharya. 2003. "The river Ganga of northern India: an appraisal of its geomorphic and ecological changes". Water Science and Technology : a Journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research. 48: 121-128. 4: Chaturvedi, M. C., Srivastava, V. K. 1979. Induced Groundwater Recharge in the Ganges Basin. Water Resources Research. Vol. 15 No. 5. 1156-1166
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The Ganges/ Brahmaputra system has the third largest discharge and largest sediment load in the world, 1,086,000 ft/s and 1.84 billion tons a year respectively1
Bangladesh experiences widespread flooding during the monsoon season Droughts are common in the dry season when the Ganges flow into Bangladesh is only 55,000 ft/sWater is desperately needed in the dry season for crop irrigation
The source of the Gangues lies in the Himalayas It is fed mainly by glacial melt from April to June Flow is severely seasonal Heaviest flows occur during monsoon months, June to October, which bring 85% of all rainfall to the area
In 2003 the basin was home to 405 million people, 346 in India, 19 in Nepal, 40 in Bangladesh
Map of the Ganges Basin
EncyclopediaBritannicaInc. http://media2.web.britannica.com/ebmedia/45/5945004D91141E7.gif Map of the Ganges River and
Tributaries
Bandyopadhyay, Jayanta , Water Management, pg 413
Brahmaputra and Ganges Rivers: Discharge
Hydrographs, 1981
Bandyopadhyay, Jayanta , Water Management, pg 420
5: Bandyopadhyay, Jayanta. 1995. "Water Management in the Ganges-Brahmaputra Basin: Emerging Challenges for the 21st Century". International Journal of Water Resources Development. 11 (4): 411-442.6, 7: Khan, Tauhidul Anwar. Management and sharing of the Ganges. Natural Resources Journal. Vol 36, no. 3. 06/02, 1997. Pg 455-4798: Mirza, M. Monirul Qader, R. A. Warrick, and N. J. Ericksen. 2003. "The Implications of Climate Change on Floods of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna Rivers in Bangladesh". Climatic Change. 57 (3): 287-318
India and Bangladesh were unable to reach a water agreement 1975 In 1976 Bangladesh failed to involve the United Nations In 1977 a five year water sharing treaty was reached This treaty gave Bangladesh 80% of Ganges flow during the dry season This was followed by two memorandums of understanding lasting through 1988, these did not include a minimum flow into Bangladesh.
The Barrage was commissioned in April 1975 This Barrage gave India control over Ganges flows into Bangladesh during the dry season In the spring of 1975 India withdrew 40,000 of the 55,000 ft/s of water from the GangesThere were disastrous consequences on Bangladesh
In 1951 India announced intentions build a Barrage across the Gangues 10km from the Bangladesh border Google Maps,
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4SKPB_enUS343US344&hl=en&tab=wl
The Farakka Barrage
http://www.sosarsenic.net/images/faraka1.jpg
Areas dependent upon Ganges Flow according to (a) the Government of India and (b) the Government of Bangladesh.
Bandyopadhyay, Jayanta Water Management, pg 436
On India
On Bangladesh
Little silt was flushed from the Baghirathi-Hooghly River Calcutta has declined as a port city
Increased salinity of soil and water Decline of soil quality and crop yields Shrinking fish population Decline of fishing villages and loss of a livelihoods Decline of mangrove forest
http://www.idrc.ca/uploads/user-S/10323813490nrj10.jpg
Flooding in Bangladesh
http://www.thedailystar.net/magazine/2009/02/02/sp2.jpg
