Water management for food systems: Case study Bangladesh

Water management is one of the key elements in any farming system. In South-West Bangladesh, canals,locally referred to as khals, are crucial in this respect; they transport water to the fields and ponds, but also enable drainage. In this area, sedimentation limits the water-carrying capacity of rivers and canals. That is why continuous re-excavation of canals and rivers is important to maintain agricultural production and livelihoods.This report documents a pilot of canal re-excavation for micro-watershed rejuvenation, under the SaFaL-2 project in South-West Bangladesh. Six recently rejuvenated micro-watersheds, three in Khulna district and three in Satkhira district, have been visited and studied. The links between water management, food systems and value chains are discussed, based on an agriculture and food system approach taking the water system into account. Here it is identified, among other things, that scaling is an important characteristic of deltas,which should be considered to ensure that the interventions at micro-watershed level match developments and plans at a larger spatial level