Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) constituted originally in 1959 as a component of the East Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority on the recommendation of the Curg Mission formed to develop recommendations for solving the problems of flooding and losses of life and property, including crops. The board was advised to take immediate measures to construct dams, barrages, embankments, drainage systems, irrigation canals, and to negotiate with India for the management of the water of common rivers. The board has a chairman and five members.

At the time of formation of the board, the responsibility of flood forecasting and early warning was given to the East Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (EPWAPDA), which had soon started planning and implementing development projects to control flooding. Initially, it had no function related to water resources management. In 1964, it formulated the first water master plan of 20-25 years duration. Development of agriculture and irrigation facilities in the country was given priority in the plan under two programmes: Flood Control and Drainage (FCD) programme and Flood Control, Drainage and Irrigation (FCDI) programme. 59 huge projects were implemented under the FCD and FCDI programmes to meet the growing demand of foodgrain. A total of 4.9 million hectors of land were made free from flood-water and 3.1 million hectors of land was brought under an irrigation command area during the project period. After the catastrophic tidal surge and cyclone of 1970, projects were undertaken to build coastal embankments. During 1975-85, BWDB implemented over 450 small projects. After the unprecedented flooding of 1988, a 5-year long flood action plan (FAP) was begun in 1990.

Until 2000, BWDB spent Tk 1,100 billion for implementing various development programmes. Although the most prolonged and worst flooding of the 20th century hit Bangladesh in 1998, the extent of damage was less severe than that during the flooding of 1988, because of the infrastructures developed by BWDB. About 4000 km of embankments had been constructed to protect lives and wealth of the people in Dhaka, Faridpur, Pabna, Tangail, Rajshahi, Gopalganj, Sirajganj, Magura, Natore, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Chuadanga, Comilla and Noakhali districts. Irrigation projects under BWDB cover 4.5 million hectors of land, helping the country to attain food self-sufficiency. Thus 1.9 million metric tons of foodgrain was produced in 1999-2000. BWDB is now implementing an integrated, sustainable and eco-friendly development project for improvement of haors at a cost of over Tk. 507 billion. There are 336 haors and 67 large beels in Bangladesh and BWDB has already implemented 66 projects for water resources development in these haor areas.

Till now BWDB has constructed 9,143 km of embankments including 4,199 km in coastal areas, which resulted in reclamation of 1,001 square kilometre of land from the sea. Four huge barrages have been constructed over the manu, the Buri-Tista, the tista and the tangon rivers. BWDB also constructed 5,072 km of irrigation canal, 3,514 km of drainage channels, 12,447 hydraulic structures, 98 pump houses, 1,241 river closures, 436 km bridges and culverts, 436 km of metalled roads and 422 km of semi-metalled roads. 35,562 km of canals and channels were excavated and re-excavated and 32,546 km of embankment were repaired and reconstructed during the period. As a result of these structures, flood control and drainage facilities are being provided to 5,014,423 hectors of land and 1,218,792 hectors of land have come under irrigation.

BWDB has 18,032 permanent posts of officers and other staff. In addition, there are 1,488 workcharged and 999 master-roll and contingency staff. A long-term administrative reform programme has recently been taken up to improve the organisational structure of BWDB. Parliament has passed a bill to reduce the existing manpower of the organisation from 18,032 to 8,860 by 2004. At the beginning of the year 2000, the figure came down to 13,021. [Mahbubul Alam]