206
agricultural land extension, urbanization extension and settlement development are
adversely affects coastal fish production and leads to a loss of agrobiodiversity and
coastal urban biodiversity and of livelihood to cover 3.5 million people who dependent on natural resources in the coastal region in Bangladesh (Anon 1995).
Moreover these are support rich biodiversity of flora and flora, contributing substantially to the socio-economic life of millions of people of rural areas of different
remote areas of the world by providing opportunities of employment, food and
nutrition, fuel, fodder, transportation and irrigation (Nishat 1988). The coastal forest
and wetlands resources in Bangladesh has suffered drastically from the impacts of
growing human population and anthropogenic activities on natural resources. The
water resources and mining resources are similarly using for economic development. Furthermore natural resources are recognized as a driving force for biodiversity conservation and coastal urban socio-economic improvement (Nishat 1988;
Ahmed et al. 2008). In the Ganges deltaic region of Bangladesh more than 60%
people are dependent on agricultural crops production. At present 30% of agricultural productions are reduced in the coastal region due high to medium level of
salinization. The salinity penetration in the upstream areas of the coastal zone is one
of the main obstacles to maintenance of water quality for drinking, irrigation and
fisheries purposes.
In the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna floodplain alone approximately 2.1 million
ha of wetlands have been lost due to flood control, drainage, and irrigation development (Khan et al. 1994), therefore, coastal urban wetlands biodiversity is facing
serious challenges from salinity intrusion, environmental changes and anthropogenic impacts (Sarkar 1993; Sarker et al. 2003; Nair 2004; Ahmed et al. 2008). The
wetlands in the coastal region includes rivers, estuaries, mangrove swamps, marsh
(haor), oxbow lake (baor) and beels, water storage reservoirs, fish ponds, and some
other lands are also facing the similar environmental problems (Khan 1993; Hughes
et al. 1994; Gopal and Wetzel 1995; Islam and Gnauck 2008). In such problematic
complicated situation the Smart-use of natural resources and salinity desalination
processes can solve the coastal urban biodiversity and ecosystem problems in the
coastal surface areas in Bangladesh.
6.7 Approach for Coastal Wetland Ecosystems Management
and Sustainability
The coastal water resource usages and maintenance is the fundamental management
aspect for local community. The fringing of this study identified a number of environmental obstructions for proper use, reuse and maintenance of their coastal natural resources. Most of the developing countries have not yet developed the coastal
water and natural resources management policies and strategies. Therefore, shortage of upstream fresh water supply, saline water intrusion and climate change
impacts on the coastal regions are the big challenge for agricultural crop production
S.N. Islam et al.
agricultural land extension, urbanization extension and settlement development are
adversely affects coastal fish production and leads to a loss of agrobiodiversity and
coastal urban biodiversity and of livelihood to cover 3.5 million people who dependent on natural resources in the coastal region in Bangladesh (Anon 1995).
Moreover these are support rich biodiversity of flora and flora, contributing substantially to the socio-economic life of millions of people of rural areas of different
remote areas of the world by providing opportunities of employment, food and
nutrition, fuel, fodder, transportation and irrigation (Nishat 1988). The coastal forest
and wetlands resources in Bangladesh has suffered drastically from the impacts of
growing human population and anthropogenic activities on natural resources. The
water resources and mining resources are similarly using for economic development. Furthermore natural resources are recognized as a driving force for biodiversity conservation and coastal urban socio-economic improvement (Nishat 1988;
Ahmed et al. 2008). In the Ganges deltaic region of Bangladesh more than 60%
people are dependent on agricultural crops production. At present 30% of agricultural productions are reduced in the coastal region due high to medium level of
salinization. The salinity penetration in the upstream areas of the coastal zone is one
of the main obstacles to maintenance of water quality for drinking, irrigation and
fisheries purposes.
In the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna floodplain alone approximately 2.1 million
ha of wetlands have been lost due to flood control, drainage, and irrigation development (Khan et al. 1994), therefore, coastal urban wetlands biodiversity is facing
serious challenges from salinity intrusion, environmental changes and anthropogenic impacts (Sarkar 1993; Sarker et al. 2003; Nair 2004; Ahmed et al. 2008). The
wetlands in the coastal region includes rivers, estuaries, mangrove swamps, marsh
(haor), oxbow lake (baor) and beels, water storage reservoirs, fish ponds, and some
other lands are also facing the similar environmental problems (Khan 1993; Hughes
et al. 1994; Gopal and Wetzel 1995; Islam and Gnauck 2008). In such problematic
complicated situation the Smart-use of natural resources and salinity desalination
processes can solve the coastal urban biodiversity and ecosystem problems in the
coastal surface areas in Bangladesh.
6.7 Approach for Coastal Wetland Ecosystems Management
and Sustainability
The coastal water resource usages and maintenance is the fundamental management
aspect for local community. The fringing of this study identified a number of environmental obstructions for proper use, reuse and maintenance of their coastal natural resources. Most of the developing countries have not yet developed the coastal
water and natural resources management policies and strategies. Therefore, shortage of upstream fresh water supply, saline water intrusion and climate change
impacts on the coastal regions are the big challenge for agricultural crop production
S.N. Islam et al.