SESA for the river stabilisation - Bangladesh

21 June 2017

The Assam earthquake in 1950 caused the Jamuna-Padma-Meghna river to fill up with sediments. As a result, the river’s width has roughly doubled and a large amount of land is lost to the water. A River Stabilisation Plan is now being developed to secure the riverbanks from erosion and to reclaim land through river training works.

For a plan of this magnitude, a strategic environmental and social assessment (SESA) is of crucial importance. This SESA was initiated by the Asian Development Bank. It is a first-of-its-kind in Bangladesh and can become an example for future investments. The NCEA has been asked to review the SESA, and visited the study area.