WLE representatives gave an overivew of perspectives on trans-boundary water management from the Ganges.

1. Subtitle
Learning from global
transboundary challenges and
opportunities: Bringing perspectives
from the Ganges to the Mekong
M. Yusuf Ali and C. A. Meisner
WLE-Ganges, WorldFish, Bangladesh
Greater Mekong Forum on water, food and energy,
Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 22 Oct 2015

2. Basic Fact of Ganges river basin
 River length: 2,525 Km
 Starting point: Gangotri glacier at Uttrakhand, India
 End point (mouth): Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh
with other rivers
 How many countries traverse: Bangladesh, India,
Nepal
 Elevation: Starting point(3,892 m), end point (0 m)
 Water source: 91 % from rainfall, 09 % from
glaciers/snow melt
 Basin area -1.1million km2

3. Ganges origin, end point and whole basin area

4. Ganges at Headwater and Lower basin

5. Comparison between Ganges and Mekong for some facts
Stat. Ganges Mekong
Basin Population(Million) 655 60
Water resource /year (Billion
M3)
525 457 km3
Water withdrawal(Billion M3) 266.8 -
Cropped area(Million ha) 44.99 10
Irrigated area(million ha) 22.41 04
Population below Poverty
level (%)
30 20

6. Ecosystem services(ESS): Fishing

7. ESS: Irrigation-Dam-Barrage-Canal

8. ESS: Irrigated crops

9. ESS: (tourism and culture)

10. ESS: (Navigation, timber and others)

11. ESS: Biodiversity

12. ESS: Hydropower

13. Problems: low dry season flow, siltation, erosion and flood

14. Burning problems
 Less water is available in dry season for
continuation of e-flow due to withdrawal of water
at different points of headwaters through
barrage/irrigation canal/industry
 High pollution through fecal sludge/industrial
pollution/human settlement encroaching/dumping
of waste in the river/ disturbance of e-flow through
dams
 Navigation is increasingly hampered in dry season
(December-May)
 Increase of water and soil salinity in downstream

15. Lack of common Basin development program
 No transboundary agreement/joint river
commission between co-basin countries
 Only short term bilateral treaties (such as India-
Bangladesh; India-Nepal)
 Dearth of High level political intervention for
developing a science based total basin
approach comprising Bangladesh, India, Nepal,
China and Bhutan like Mekong/Rhine

16. Future Opportunities
Water could be an entry point for addressing
challenges common to region through a Ganges
River Commission (GRC):
 Increased data sharing, joint monitoring and capacity
development
 Joint investment, Joint operation and management
 Store monsoon water (80 % rainfall in four months which is
420 billion m3 streamflow) for ensuring dry season flow
 Expand irrigation and navigation facilities including river link
for Nepal (as land locked)
 Mitigate the effect of floods and erosion
 Manage droughts and salinity with the changing climate

17. Contd. Future Opportunities
 Augment dry season river flows
 Generate environmentally safe hydropower for
own use and market to other co-basin country
 Ensure ecosystem services through ensuring e-
flow
 Cooperation in smart conservation agriculture
to optimize water use for dry season crops
 Collaboration in climate change adaptation and
mitigation