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A Story of the Impacts of Riverbank Erosion, Assashuni Upazila of Satkhira District
Sathkira, one of the most climatevulnerable coastal districts in Bangladesh, has a total of 683 km of embankments to protect it from tidal flooding and saline water intrusion. The earthen embankment on the bank of the Kholpetua River was breached at Bichot village on March 31, the day of Eid UlFitr. Due to sudden erosion of the embankment, 800 families were affected, and 200 bighas of crop land and 400 bighas of fish farms were destroyed by saline water inundation.
People took shelter with their livestock on the roads. Affected people have been facing a drinking water crisis,and grappling with repairing of their damaged houses.
April 16-17, 2025, UNWOMEN conducted a field mission to the affected site in Assasuni Upazila. Consulting with official of Water Development Board, civil society members, and affected communities, the mission tried to assess the impact of riverbank erosion on the people of Assasuni Upazila and to identify critical needs within a gender context.
Women complained about not having access to clean water due to the absence of deep tube wells and the presence of arsenic contamination in water from shallow tube wells. Anecdotal evidence, as relayed by the women during FGDs, suggests that uterine infections and skin diseases are prevalent in the region due to the regular use of saline water for bathing and household chores.
Local GiHA chapter meeting was held during the mission and the chapter members decided to work on identifying sustainable, long-term solutions to the Embankment breach problem at community level. They’ll work with local government, civil society, affected community members, Women-Led Organizations for that