Cox’s Bazar sea beach erodes for unplanned development
Environmental activists say hundreds of high-rise buildings have been built by powerful people in the floodplain areas of the sea beach
Unplanned development and the effects of global warming have triggered erosion at different parts of the Cox's Bazar sea beach, the longest natural beach in the world and a major tourist attraction in the country, threatening the natural protection system.
In recent years, around 4 kilometres of the beach have been swallowed by the sea. They include popular tourist areas like Laboni point, Kabita Square, Shaibal point and Seagull point. Around 1 kilometre area of the marine drive has also been lost to the sea due to erosion.
People have said several government and private infrastructures located near the beach areas, including the BIAM Laboratory Building and the tourists' change room of the District Parishad, are on the verge of collapse due to the erosion.
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The Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) is now using geobags to protect the beach and has placed more than 10 red flags at the Laboni point to alert tourists about the problem, they said.
However, marine scientists have described the situation as a man-made catastrophe.
"The main reason behind the erosion here is the decline in the accumulation of sediment and sand. Our major rivers carry sediment to the sea from upstream. A part of this sediment is deposited on the beach with the water flows of the rivers," Sayedur Rahman Chowdhury, professor at the Institute of Marine Sciences, Chattogram University, told The Business Standard.
"If the volume of this sediment is higher, the beach becomes wider. On the other hand, if the water flow in the sea carries more sediment than the amount accumulated on the beach, there will be erosion.
"The flow of sediment is being disrupted due to the dams created in our country and in the neighbouring countries," he added.
Sayeed Mahmood Belal Haider, director general of Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute (BORI), said, "We have observed that the erosion has happened mostly at the places where there are concrete structures and tamarisk trees planted by the forest department. However, places with a natural environment are intact."
He said, "Snails and oysters can create underwater structures that can act like living dams and protect the beach from erosion. Essentially, this natural biological defense system has protected our beaches so far. But the beach is now disappearing into the sea as the construction of unplanned infrastructures is destroying this natural barrier."
Environmental activists say hundreds of high-rise buildings have been built by powerful and influential people in the floodplain areas of the sea beach.
"The government has declared Cox's Bazar an environmentally endangered area. But some influential people have built more than 500 high-rise buildings surrounding the beach," said Fazlul Quader Chowdhury, president of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA), Cox' Bazar district.
Scientists have also identified some natural causes for the erosion of Cox's Bazar sea beach.
Sayeed Mahmood Belal Haider said, "The sand dales of the beach were covered with seaweeds. They used to protect the beach. But this feature of the beach was lost after the destructive cyclone of 1991. The increase in the number of tourists at the beach also helped the seaweeds disappear."
Md Zakaria, senior scientific officer, Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute (BORI), said, "The Bay of Bengal is now experiencing depression more frequently due to global warming. The sea level at the erosion-prone Laboni point of the beach rises more than one metre during the rainy season."
Can concrete dams be a solution?
On a recent visit to monitor the erosion of Cox's Bazar sea beach, Kabir Bin Anwar, senior secretary of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), said that the government has adopted a plan to build a 12 km dam to protect the beach. "A project proposal of Tk3,140 crore has been submitted to the Ecnec in this regard," he said.
But marine scientists remain skeptical about the effectiveness of concrete dams to protect the beach from erosion. They suggest that the authorities formulate sustainable plans with adequate surveys to save the longest sea beach in the world.
"We need to conduct geological and oceanographic studies for a long term solution. Otherwise, it will not work. The natural features of the beach cannot be destroyed," said Md Zakaria, senior scientific officer of BORI.
Professor Mr Sayedur Rahman Chowdhury said, "River management and saving the beach are not the same thing. And so engineering feasibility studies will not be enough. The project has been taken up without the necessary surveys. Cox's Bazar is very important economically. If the beauty of the beach is destroyed, there will be a negative impact on the tourism industry."
Tanjir Saif Ahmed, executive engineer of BWDB, Cox's Bazar, said, "The project was undertaken after detailed engineering and environmental assessment. Currently, the project is awaiting review by the planning commission."
