Bangladesh is a riverine country and crisscrossed by vast network of rivers. As a result management of water resources especially wetlands were of great concern to the government of Bangladesh since its independence. The total number of wetlands of this country is estimated about 7-8 million hectares which covers about 50% landmass of the country.

For the sustainable management of wetlands many projects have been implemented by joint collaboration with govt and various organizations and NGO?s. Almost in all the projects community-based management system has been occupied and it was so effective.

Some of the tools used-

•  Participatory Action Plan Development
• Community based Fish sanctuary
• Restoration of Swamp forest
• Cultivation in Hydrophonic
• BAIRA -Floating Garden

Projects:

1.Meghna-Dhonagoda Project by BWDB (Bangladesh Water Development Board) (1979-1988)

Achievements:

• ?         Rehabilitation
• ?         Water Users Organization formation  for water management
• ?         Involvement of Water User Group in  cost recovery
• ?         Involvement of distress woman in  embankment maintenance
• ?         Integrated Pest Management
• ?         Small Scale Fisheries Development

 2.Community-Based Haor Resources Management under Sustainable Environment Management Program (SEMP 2.2.1/A) by CNRS &IUCN (1998-2006)

Achievements

• ?         Skill development oflocal people by community-based organizations
• ?         Conservation of threatened wildlife
• ?         Promotion of eco-tourism
• ?         Renewable energy options
• ?         Environment fund

3.Management of Aquatic Ecosystem through Community Husbandry (MACH)

Achievements

• ?         awareness and institutionbuilding,
• ?         habitatrehabilitation, alternative income generations.
• ?         wise use of fish and other wetlandresources,
• ?         establishment of sanctuaries,
• ?         community development & local level institution buildingand
• ?         social and biologicalmonitoring.

 4.Community Based Fisheries Management (CBFM)

Achievements

• ?        Community control over 116 water bodies has been established through 130 officially recognized, poverty-focused, Community Based Organizations
• ?         Sanctuaries are demarcated with  red flags, accompanied by a  signboard declaring that fishing is  completely banned in the sanctuary.
• ?         164 fish sanctuaries covering over 90 hectares of water area have been established in 81 waterbodies.

5.Costal and wetland Biodiversity Management Project (CWBMP)

Achievements:

• ?         CWBMP aims to implement the ECA legislation through the participation of local community and alternative livelihood options.
• ?         In Bangladesh there are 8 Ecological Critical Areas (ECA). Those ECAs are mostly wetlands, viz.1. Hakaluki Haor 2. Cox?s Bazar Beach 3. Sonadia Island 4. St. Martin?s Island5. MarjutBeel 6. Gulshn-Baridhara Lake 7. Tanguar Haor 8. Periphery of Sundarbans
• ?         The project has been implemented since 2006 in Hakaluki Haor, Cox?s Bazar Beach, Sonadia Island and St. Martin?s Island.
• ?         objectives of the projects implementing different activities including Alternative Income Generation, swamp plantation, mangrove plantation, nofishing zone, etc.