Institutional arrangements for water management in Bangladesh: challenges and opportunities for polders

Conceptual overview of institutional arrangements for water management in Bangladesh, highlighting the three pillars of water institutions namely water laws, water policies, and water administration, and their role in improving water management in coastal polders. Water management institutions play a crucial role in ensuring proper water management for achieving water security and sustainable socio-economic development. In the coastal regions of Bangladesh, hydro-climatic hazards such as waterlogging, storm surge, salinity intrusion, cyclones, and conflicts among water users are extensive. Although many studies have been conducted, the performance of water institutions and the exploration of their challenges and opportunities remain limited. This study, in particular, assessed institutional performance and evaluated the challenges and opportunities in selected polders, focusing on three core pillars of water management institutions: water laws, water policies, and water administration. Key findings indicate that although Bangladesh has many laws, regulations, plans, and policies, their practical implementation remains limited and largely confined to official documents. Moreover, poor inter-agency coordination and fragmented governance structures exacerbate these challenges, preventing the alignment of national strategies with local priorities. At the local level, water management organizations (WMOs) often fail to function effectively due to poor governance, political interference, limited maintenance funding, and reliance on short-term projects that become inactive after the cessation of external assistance. It recommends enhancing stakeholder participation, strengthening inter-agency coordination and WMOs through capacity-building initiatives, proper budgeting, and ensuring transparency.