Civil society leaders urged immediate support for flood-hit haor farmers and stronger governance, warning that climate risks, corruption, and poor planning threaten livelihoods, biodiversity, and Bangladesh’s long-term food security.
Civil society leaders and experts have called for urgent assistance for farmers affected by recent floods in Bangladesh’s haor (wetland) region, warning that governance gaps and climate risks are increasingly threatening livelihoods and national food security.
Speaking at a press conference at the Sagar-Runi Hall of Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU), organized by the Sunamganj district committee of SUJAN (Sushashoner Jonno Nagorik), SUJAN Secretary Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar urged immediate support for flood-affected farmers alongside long-term reforms in haor governance.
“We must support the farmers who have been affected by floods and take effective measures to resolve their problems,” he said, linking the crisis directly to governance failures, environmental degradation and national food security concerns.
Food Security and National Concern
He stressed that Bangladesh’s shrinking agricultural land and large population have made food security an urgent national challenge. He said the haor region of Sunamganj has historically played a vital role in ensuring food security, adding that stronger governance and the elimination of corruption and mismanagement would benefit not only Sunamganj but the entire country.
Majumdar further warned that repeated flood-related crop losses are forcing Bangladesh to increase food imports, adding pressure on foreign currency reserves and the broader economy.
Agricultural Importance of the Haor Region
SUJAN Sunamganj district General Secretary Fazlul Karim Said presented a written statement highlighting the economic importance of the haor ecosystem, noting that haors across seven districts form a critical foundation of Bangladesh’s food security system.
According to the statement, around 220,511 hectares of Boro rice were cultivated this season in 139 haors of Sunamganj alone, producing an estimated 1.3 million metric tons of paddy. However, the statement warned that weak oversight and a lack of sustainable planning continue to expose this agricultural potential to recurring climate risks.
Embankments, Planning Failures and Governance Gaps
Speakers raised concerns over irregularities and mismanagement in the construction of flood protection embankments. Despite significant annual expenditure, farmers reportedly continue to suffer due to delayed construction schedules, which often begin in February or March instead of the required mid-December timeline. As a result, embankments remain vulnerable to early flash floods.
They alleged political influence in Project Implementation Committees (PICs), contractor-driven syndicates and poor-quality construction work. They further warned that unplanned embankments are disrupting natural water flow, worsening waterlogging and accelerating environmental degradation.
Environmental Degradation and Biodiversity Loss
Participants highlighted a sharp decline in biodiversity, noting that fish species in the haor ecosystem have fallen from 140 to 150 species in the past to around 60 to 70 today. Wetlands, including hijol-karoch forests and grazing lands, are also disappearing at an alarming rate.
SUJAN Sunamganj district President Nurul Haque Afendi said that fish, stone and rice remain the three main lifelines of the region, but development outcomes continue to fall short of expectations despite repeated investments.
Recommendations and Structural Reform Demands
To address the crisis, speakers called for the creation of a dedicated “Haor Ministry” to ensure integrated management of agriculture, water resources, fisheries and the environment.
They also recommended replacing temporary embankments with sustainable river and canal dredging, hydrological mapping, depoliticized project implementation, digital monitoring systems and climate-resilient agricultural planning.
Senior and central representatives of SUJAN, including Delip Sarker, Nasar Amin and Kazi Nurul Aziz Chowdhury, also addressed the press conference.
Speakers collectively warned that without urgent reforms and stronger accountability, the haor region’s declining productivity and ecological degradation will deepen Bangladesh’s long-term food security risks, making immediate policy attention essential.
