Assessing resilience of surface water management schemes in Bangladesh: strategic insights for transformation

The sustainability of surface water management schemes (SWMSs) has become a key policy concern, particularly in terms of their resilience to climate change. Coastal hazards pose significant threats to SWMS infrastructure, such as canals and ponds, yet empirical evidence on their resilience remains limited. This study evaluates the resilience of SWMS implemented under the Smallholder Agriculture Competitiveness Project in coastal Bangladesh. It also proposes strategies to enhance their long-term capacity. A novel framework was used to assess resilience, incorporating four risk management components – preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery – across six development dimensions: social, economic, environmental, physical, institutional, and governance. Using 24 systematically developed indicators, a structured survey was conducted with 1,063 beneficiaries across 10 coastal districts. Results show that approximately half of the respondents perceive SWMS as moderately capable of anticipating, adapting to, and recovering from coastal hazards. A national-level participatory workshop identified five strategic directions, including short-, medium-, and long-term actions to transform SWMS. Key policy recommendations include investing in climate-resilient irrigation infrastructure, addressing policy implementation gaps, mainstreaming gender, reforming water institutions, and promoting pond-based integrated farming systems.