The Ganges–Brahmaputra river delta, with 170 million people and a vast, low-lying coastal plain, is perceived to be at great risk of increased flooding and submergence from sea-level rise. However, human alteration of the landscape can create similar risks to sea-level rise. Here, we report that islands in southwest Bangladesh, enclosed by embankments in the 1960s, have lost 1.0–1.5 m of elevation, whereas the neighbouring Sundarban mangrove forest has remained comparatively stable.

Majuli, one of the largest inhabited river islands in the world, is under serious threat due to large-scale bank erosion by the Brahmaputra River. There is urgent need to preserve this socio-culturally rich island of over 0.2 million people. Erosions have been shrinking its landmass significantly and thereby causing enormous pressure on its ecosystem. Through this study, an attempt has been made to assess the effect of flood and erosion on the island, its nature, habitats and eco-system. Survey maps and satellite data are considered as major inputs to this study.

Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal are connected by the combined system of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers, but erratic water supplies and pressures of population growth are leading to tensions over management of these transboundary waters. GOLAM RASUL outlines the main issues of transboundary water management in this Himalayan basin and the opportunities that exist to improve cooperation between these countries.