Morphological Changes in Teesta River Basin: Impact and Adaptation Strategies in the Northern Bangladesh

Abstract

Bangladesh is located at the foothills of the mighty Himalayas and the landscape of the country is formed with the morphological changes of the Ganges- Brahmaputra-Meghna river system. The Teesta is one of the main tributary of the Brahmaputra river which originates from the glaciers of Sikkim, India. The Teesta river flows through the northeastern region of Northern Bangladesh which is considered as the soul of the entire region of Rangpur division. Physiographically, the region is recognized as Teesta Floodplain and designated as an important earthquake zone. Morphological Changes are recurrent incident in the study area. Aggradation and degradation processes of the Teesta river shaped different morphological features in the river basin. Flood, erosion, sediment deposition, channel migration are the main events causing river morphology change. All these fluvial-morphological hazards are responsible for distresses of thousands of people of the Teesta riverine community. The study area lies beneath the plains of the Himalayas and it is the inherent cause for flood and river bank erosion in the Teesta river basin. The unstable river bank and its changing morphology turned the region least developed economy and the area is known as “Monga prone area” (“Monga” refers to seasonal unavailable employment opportunity and reduction of purchasing capacity of essential goods which leads people to become starved) as well as the community is termed as “Mofij”(The poor people of Teesta river basin). Catastrophic flood, ruinous river bank erosion, recurrent channel shifting situation becomes part and parcel of everyday life of the community adjacent to the Teesta river bank. The Teesta riverine people are helpless, homeless and landless particularly the poor‟s are the most affected and vulnerable groups who are loosening their lives, property and livelihoods. Morphological change interrupts their normal life and they turn into poor, poorer and poorest.---