HaskoningDHV helps Bangladesh with coastal defence
Consulting firm Royal HaskoningDHV has won a six-year contract to help the government of Bangladesh with the protection of its coastal regions that are particular vulnerable to climate change risks. The firm will be in charge of the embankment to be constructed along hundreds of kilometres of shoreline.
Coastal protection
As a result of climate change and climate variability, the coastal population in Bangladesh is facing intrinsic risks, risks that include cyclones and storm surges, river bank erosion and vulnerability of islands and chars, sea level rise, saline water intrusion, and coastal river erosion. Sarafat Hossain Khan, Project Director of the Bangladesh Water Development Board, explains the risks: “A recent study indicated that if a 10 year return period cyclone hit our coastal area today, about 8 million people will be affected by inundation depths greater than 3 metres.”
In order to protect its most vulnerable coastal zone, the Bangladesh Water Development Board has signed a €10.5 million contract with engineering and project management consulting firm Royal HaskoningDHV to provide engineering consultancy services. “We are very proud to be part of the many projects the Government of Bangladesh is launching to protect their coastal zone. The area holds numerous natural resources including fresh water, oil and gas and minerals. Making the area more resilient to natural disasters and climate change will provide resilience to vulnerable communities and revitalise social and economic developments,” comments Roelof Moll, Royal HaskoningDHV’s Project Director, on the project assignment.
The contract* has been signed for six years, during which Royal HaskoningDHV will design, supervise the construction and support the project management of hundreds of kilometres of embankment. This defence line will protect 17 coastal polders and its populations from natural disasters caused by climate change. The total project area will cover around 1,000 square kilometres.
To execute the project, Royal HaskoningDHV will work together with the Danish Hydraulic Institute, and with local partners DevConsultants, Design Planning & Management Consultants and the Institute of Water Modelling (IWM).
* The contract is part of the Coastal Embankment Improvement Project, Phase-1 (CEIP-1) of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh which is financed by the World Bank.
