Published: 11:39 PM, 10 September 2026
Water Crisis in Coastal Areas Requires Integrated and Sustainable Remedies
Shafiqul Islam Khokon
Water is the fundamental basis of all life on Earth. It is not merely a basic necessity of life; it is also a key driver of public health, food security, and sustainable development. Yet in the vast coastal regions of Bangladesh, the shortage of safe drinking water has become a prolonged humanitarian and environmental crisis.
Because of its geographical location, the coastal region has no shortage of water. Surrounded by rivers, canals, wetlands, ponds, and the sea, this vast aquatic landscape appears to have water everywhere. But what a cruel paradox of nature—it is precisely amid this abundance of water that coastal people are constantly struggling to obtain even a drop of potable freshwater. The famous line from English literature—“Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink”—seems to have become the everyday reality of the people living in southwestern coastal Bangladesh.
Where there is no water, there is no life. Seas, rivers, canals, ponds, wetlands, haors, baors, and other water bodies are reservoirs of water and the carriers and sustainers of life. Yet for years, people in coastal areas have had to travel kilometers in search of a single pitcher of safe drinking water. Women and children suffer the most. Leaving home before dawn with water containers on their shoulders or hips and walking miles has become a tragic image of coastal life. This long journey for water is not only physically exhausting; it is also creating a silent barrier to women’s and children’s education, employment, and broader socioeconomic advancement.
Multiple Causes of the Crisis
The severe water crisis in coastal areas has not been caused by any single factor. It is the combined result of climate change, environmental transformation, changes in natural river flows, and various human activities. Nature has provided resources for human well-being, but people are using those resources in ways that ultimately push themselves toward destruction.
Climate change and sea-level rise: Global warming is causing sea levels to rise. During high tide, saline water is penetrating farther inland through rivers and canals. As a result, many once-freshwater sources are gradually becoming saline.
Spread of salinity in groundwater: Excessive and unregulated extraction of groundwater is contributing to the spread of salinity into freshwater aquifers. In many areas, groundwater levels have fallen, making it increasingly difficult to obtain fresh water even through deep tube wells.
Decline of natural water bodies and prolonged drought: Climate change has altered rainfall patterns. Prolonged droughts and irregular rainfall are causing natural water bodies to dry up. At the same time, the filling of canals and ponds and the construction of poorly planned embankments are disrupting natural water flows.
Reduced upstream freshwater flow: The complexities of regional river management, declining river navigability, and reduced freshwater flows from upstream are increasing salinity levels in rivers during the dry season. As the downstream pressure of freshwater decreases, saline water penetrates farther upstream.
Negative Impacts on Public Health and the Local Economy
The shortage of safe drinking water is not merely a crisis of quenching thirst; it is disrupting the entire coastal way of life. The use of excessively saline or contaminated water increases health risks, including diarrhea, skin diseases, and gastrointestinal infections.
There are also concerns about the relationship between long-term consumption of saline water and health risks such as high blood pressure. Excessive salt intake may also increase health risks for pregnant women.
Agriculture is also being severely affected. As saline water enters cropland, soil fertility declines and the production of rice and other traditional crops is disrupted. Due to a lack of freshwater for irrigation, large areas of farmland remain uncultivated year after year. The consequences could extend beyond local food security and pose a threat to national food security.
The crisis is also deepening in terms of livelihoods and the economy. Due to the lack of agricultural opportunities and safe water, many families are being forced to stop raising livestock. As the normal environment for farming and daily life deteriorates, people from various parts of southwestern coastal Bangladesh are moving toward cities. This is creating a new reality of environmentally driven displacement.
Potential of Technology-Based Solutions
To address this complex crisis, treating water from the rivers along the coast with modern technology and converting it into safe drinking water could be an effective solution. Various water-stressed countries around the world are meeting people’s water needs by treating seawater and saline water. In Bangladesh, modern desalination technologies could also be introduced through integrated planning that takes local conditions into account.
Desalination and reverse osmosis: Small- and medium-sized treatment plants could be established in coastal areas to remove dissolved salts, microorganisms, sediment, and harmful chemicals from river water through reverse osmosis technology. If river water has relatively low salinity, conventional water-treatment processes may also be sufficient to make it safe for use.
Distribution of safe water through pipelines: Water from rivers with relatively low salinity or from areas with freshwater sources could be treated and transported through pipelines to distant villages.
Solar-powered water treatment plants: Considering the limitations of electricity connections in remote coastal areas, solar-powered water treatment plants could be effective. This would increase the use of renewable energy and could reduce operating costs in the long term.
Combining Natural and Local Technologies
However, simply establishing large treatment plants will not provide a complete solution to the crisis. What is needed is the protection of natural water sources and the integration of local knowledge and traditional practices with modern technology.
Rainwater harvesting should be expanded extensively throughout the coastal region. Hygienic systems for collecting and storing rainwater could be installed on the roofs of homes, educational institutions, cyclone shelters, and government buildings. At the same time, a designated number of ponds and water bodies in every union should be protected from salinity and pollution and preserved exclusively as sources of drinking water.
Re-excavating local canals and small rivers is essential to control the flow of saline water and retain freshwater during the monsoon. Technologies for artificially directing rainwater into underground aquifers to increase natural groundwater recharge could also be introduced.
However, past experience shows that many canals and rivers are losing their natural flow after being illegally occupied by influential individuals. In other cases, pond sand filters (PSFs) have been installed but later become dysfunctional due to a lack of maintenance. Therefore, it is essential to establish strong local management teams, ensure regular monitoring, and develop a sense of ownership and awareness among beneficiaries regarding the importance of these projects.
Challenges in Implementing Water Policies
Water is a fundamental resource directly connected to human life and development. With the aim of ensuring the proper use and conservation of this resource, Bangladesh formulated the National Water Policy, 1999. The policy emphasizes access to safe water; equitable use of water for agriculture, industry, and households; conservation of rivers, canals, ponds, and wetlands; management of floods and droughts; protection of the environment and biodiversity; and participation of local communities. It also addresses the need to control excessive groundwater extraction and prevent water pollution.
The reality, however, is that effective implementation remains a major challenge despite the existence of the policy. Water resources are increasingly under threat because of river pollution, encroachment on water bodies, unplanned urbanization, and excessive groundwater extraction. Therefore, it is not enough merely to formulate policies; their implementation must also be ensured.
The Water Act and the Question of Water-Stressed Areas
Section 17 of the Bangladesh Water Act, 2013 provides that, based on appropriate investigations, examinations, or surveys, the government may declare an area or part of an area a “water-stressed area” for a specified period in order to protect water bodies or aquifers. Such a declaration allows the boundaries of the area to be specified and provides scope for imposing various restrictions for proper management of water-stressed areas.
Through a government gazette notification issued on October 28, 2025, certain areas were declared water-stressed areas. But despite the acute shortage of safe freshwater in coastal areas—even though water surrounds them on all sides—the question remains whether this reality has received sufficient attention. Failure to specifically recognize the coastal drinking-water crisis could create a form of discrimination against coastal communities.
An even more important question is this: If an area facing a genuine water crisis is not included or declared as a water-stressed area, who bears responsibility for that neglect? Just as there should be provisions for punishment for violations of the law, there should also be mechanisms for administrative responsibility and accountability when crisis-affected communities are denied necessary protection.
A draft Water Resources Planning, Management and Conservation Act, 2025, aimed at modernizing water management, has also come under discussion. Similarly, various initiatives have been undertaken concerning water supply and sanitation management, as well as the conservation of haors and wetlands. How these initiatives will be implemented in the future is now the crucial question.
Implementation Challenges and the Way Forward
Both technology-based and nature-based solutions face challenges. Establishing and operating modern desalination plants requires substantial investment. During the dry season, river salinity increases, while during the monsoon, sediment and turbidity rise, potentially placing additional pressure on treatment facilities. The highly concentrated saline waste, or brine, generated through desalination can also harm rivers and aquatic ecosystems if it is not properly managed.
To address these challenges, technical capacity building, environmental impact assessments, long-term financing, and efficient maintenance systems are essential. Local young people could be trained and involved in the operation and maintenance of treatment plants. This would not only improve the sustainability of the projects but also create local employment opportunities.
Preliminary findings from a recent joint study by icddr,b and Imperial College London have also raised concerns about the relationship between drinking-water salinity in coastal areas and the risk of cardiovascular disease. The issue, therefore, is no longer simply a matter of water supply; it is also a question of public health and human security.
The Need for an Integrated and Long-Term Initiative
The coastal drinking-water crisis cannot be solved by any single agency or by the government alone. An integrated network must be developed involving government institutions, local government bodies—including Union Parishads and Upazila Parishads—national and international development partners, non-governmental organizations, and, above all, local communities.
Water is not a luxury commodity; it is a basic human right and a prerequisite for life. Therefore, ensuring safe drinking water for coastal communities must become an important component of national development planning. Beyond short-term relief or temporary solutions, what is needed is a long-term master plan, proper utilization of climate adaptation funds, application of modern technologies, conservation of rivers, canals, and water bodies, and meaningful participation of local communities.
Protecting the water resources of the coast means protecting not only coastal communities but also the country’s environment, agriculture, economy, and future generations. Therefore, the time has come to take coordinated and effective action to protect rivers and canals, conserve freshwater sources, and ensure equitable and sustainable water management. Otherwise, we will leave future generations with a vulnerable and crisis-ridden coastline from which recovery will become increasingly difficult.
Shafiqul Islam Khokon is a researcher
and a columnist. He can be reached
