Strategy Formulation and Adaptation Pathways Generation for Sustainable Development of Western Floodplain of Ganges

The coastal zone of Bangladesh is very heterogeneous in nature and has marvelous potential to create opportunities of national importance and contribute to GDP. Among the potentials—intensification of agriculture, aqua-culture and marine fishery, ship building industry, eco-tourism, deep sea port etc. are most significant. Unfortunately, the coastal zone of the country is disaster prone area. Poor communication, lack of education and health care facilities, prolonged absence of safe drinking water and inadequate cyclone shelters contribute and multiply the dimension of vulnerability. Furthermore, increasing population pressure increases the competition for limited resources. As a consequence, in order to unlock these potentials, existing and new interventions are required to serve in an integrated and inclusive way; calling for a distinct and integrated coastal development strategy. This study aims to investigate the issues of the western floodplain of the Ganges and propose some identical strategies and subsequent adaptation pathways to delineate the development roadmaps to decision makers and researches. Analyses have been conducted through GIS and RS technology, Dynamic Pathway Generator, Excel analysis and field investigation.