Haor in Bangladesh

The haor basin is a low-lying bowl-shaped basin located mainly in the North-eastern part (covering 2,417 Sq. Km of Sunamganj, Sylhet, Moulavi Bazar, Habiganj, Brahmanbaria, Kishorganj and Netrokona) of Bangladesh. The total land area is 15, 47,133 acors. Virtually all of these lands is below 8 meters and is flooded to depths of 5 meters or more during the monsoon. Total number of haor 38 in Habiganj, 4 in Moulavibazar, 43 in Sylhet, 80 in Netrokona, 3 in Brahmanbaria, 122 in Kishorganj and 133 are situated in Sunamganj. The total population is 200 million approximately. Fisheries & Agricultural resources The haor basin is a unique echo system of national and international importance that supports nearly 200 species of wetland flora, 141 species of fishes (which is half of Bangladesh’s total fish species and 55 of them are listed in threatened categories by IUCN), 11 amphibians, 34 reptiles (including 6 turtles, 7 lizards 21 snake species) and also many mammals. Their fisheries resource is well known in terms of species richness, diversity and production. Tangua is known as one of the important mother fisheries of the entire haor basin. The fresh water swamp forest is type of vegetation consists of evergreen trees forming a closed canopy. The trees of the swamp forests including Hizal (Barringtonia acutangula) and Karach (Pongamia pinnata) and occur in varying proportions.Barun (Craetava nurvela) and bhui-dumur (Ficus heterophylle) also frequently form these vegetation type. These forests occur in the elevated ridges between levees of the streams or the beels. The swamp forest can be seen on the raised flat plains sheltering the village homesteads sloping towards haor proper. Like other wetlands of the country, over the years, due to various anthropogenic and natural causes the haor resources are on the declining trend. Over fishing, destructive fishing, encroachment, increased siltation, water control dykes etc are the major causes of degradation of haor resources. The other dimension of the problems include inadequate enforcement of government rules and acts, faulty leasing system, absence of enabling/adequate institutional and policy environment and weak capacity to assess, plan and manage accelerated the degradation process. Along with the natural environment, national policy also made the people of this area more vulnerable and it is difficult to sustain people’s right to common property. Socio-Economic Status The people of most of the haor are living in a very poor and distressed condition. The overall livelihood situation is much below compared to the national standard (CEGIS 2006). The health, water and sanitation situation of the haor area is in alarming situation. The use of unsafe drinking water at 18% and unsafe sanitation at 63% and this is a major reason for prevalent diseases in the area. The people of haor are mostly farmers followed by the traditional fisherman and other resource users. There are also other traditional groups such as traders, carpenters, blacksmiths, potters, barbers, boatmen etc. Population of Hindu community is higher in the wetlands. The fisher folk are mainly from Hindu community. Muslims are mainly cultivators. Haor Resources: Mismanagement & Enormous Prospects Page 4 of 13 However, now a day, there are some Muslim fisher folk as well and they are called “Maimol” (). Communication, protection of crops from natural disaster, flash flood is the problems in broader head which may be common with other parts of the country but in reality they are not common but different and acute. Considering the issue, a haor development board was formed though it could not achieve its goal to ensure haor people’s right. Major economic resources in the haor basin area are: fisheries which is a primary source of income for local people, production of rice on its agricultural land (that is harvested before the rainwater comes in the basin in April), swamp forests that supplies the fuel wood requirements for the local people and the reed beds supply housing materials for the local people. Their fisheries resource is well known in terms of species richness, diversity and production. One of the important resources is open water fishing. Flooding in the monsoon season removes the rigid boundaries of private lands, and the fisheries resources of the flood plain become common property. Traditionally people had customary rights and free access to the water bodies, their rights to livelihood and common property are being denied by the power structure and state. According to government policy, poor people can access the water through fisherman cooperative societies, but in practice these are controlled by powerful political leaders and business. Through corruption, many political leaders, musclemen and landlords are getting access to water bodies and land while the poor are being deprived. Now numerous social organizations are working in the region and poor people have awakened. They are now demanding their rights to water and land.