The haors of Bangladesh and beels of India – seasonal wetlands that nurture fish stocks in the monsoon season and recede to provide fertile soil for farming in the dry season – are livelihood lifelines for millions. These wetland ecosystems sustain biodiversity, regulate floods and provide food and economic security for local communities in the transboundary Meghna River Basin.  

Beneath their cultural and ecological richness lies a conflict: conservation efforts often clash with the survival needs of local communities who depend on these wetlands. The communities here face many challenges: poverty, lack of land ownership, access to quality education, and alternative livelihood opportunities.

Bangladesh’s Haors: lifelines at risk

In Bangladesh’s haors, men are primarily engaged in fishing and farming, while women are largely confined to domestic roles, with only a selected few involved in small businesses like tailoring and shopkeeping. For generations, families have relied on fishing and rice cultivation. But these livelihood lifelines are eroding. Declining fish stocks and varieties, likely due to overfishing and increasingly erratic flash floods due to the changing climate threaten both food security and income.

Climate-resilient, high-yield rice varieties introduced by the Bangladesh government have boosted yields, yet the siltation of the haors reduces farming areas, and sudden floods can wash away entire rice harvests.

The Bangladesh Department of Fisheries leases the haors to private entities such as small-scale fisheries associations through competitive bidding, often sidelining local fishers who lack the cash to compete. The lease duration varies depending on the size of the haor and can last several years, during which the leaseholder is responsible for its utilization and management. In Sunamganj, over 40% of fishers borrowed from external businesses to secure the leases or to cover debts.

The high costs of leasing and limited economic prospects are pushing youth out of the wetlands, forcing them to migrate to urban centres like Sylhet or Dhaka for work and cash income.

Desperate for alternatives, some locals rear cattle and ducks. These ducks roam freely in the wetlands, devouring fish eggs and competing with other birds for food, and risking genetic contamination and disease.

Mr. Sarowar Alam,  a conservationist with two decades of experience, warns that, “The short term gains are destroyiong the haors.”

Duck rearing is being promoted for income generation in line with the Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (2009), National Livestock Development Policy (2007), and Poverty Reduction Strategy (2009) among others. But in a policy contradiction, it goes against national biodiversity policies like Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (2016-2021), National Environment Policy (2018), and the Wildlife Conservation and Security Act (2012).

Rupai Bali Beels in India: Pollution and invasive species

Unlike the larger haors in Bangladesh, India’s wetlands – referred to locally as “beels” – face a different set of challenges. While local communities here enjoy better infrastructure including piped water, sturdy homes, and year-round farmland, the wetlands face pollution and invasive species.

To boost fish yields, fishers use urea which leads to the expansion of water hyacinths and makes the water unfit for drinking.

The hyacinths suffocate aquatic life, reduce oxygen levels and result in sludge. Floodgates installed by Assam state government while curbing floods, trap these invasive plants and compound the ecological damage.

Revisiting policies, rethinking conservation

The haors and beels are more than wetlands in the Meghna River Basin, they are vital socio-ecological systems supporting millions of people and rich biodiversity.

Yet, conflicting policies prioritize short-term economic gains over long-term ecological sustainability. In Bangladesh, commercial leasing of the wetlands and duck-rearing degrade the wetlands; in India, urea use and flood management approaches intensify water pollution and the proliferation of invasive plant species.

To reconcile these conflicts, national policies must harmonize livelihoods with ecological conservation. Community-led conservation, stronger environmental governance, and transboundary cooperation between Bangladesh and India could protect these vital ecosystems for future generations.