Integrating models for sustainable water management in Asian mega-deltas

For the fourteenth installment of Delta Talks, the CGIAR Initiative on Asian Mega-Deltas (AMD) and Wageningen University & Research (WUR) presented a webinar on harnessing local-scale hydrological insights for enhanced water and salinity management in Asian mega-deltas.

Dr. Dipaka R Sena, a researcher at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI)-India, presented research on developing an AI/ML-driven salinity forecasting system for an array of sluice gates along the river-polder interface near Khulna, Bangladesh, in the Ganges Delta. This forecasting system would empower farmers to make informed decisions about when to schedule their water intake from a particular sluicegate a month in advance to enable them to start their agricultural season in a strategic manner.

Following, Dr. Mahesh Jampani, a researcher at IWMI-Sri Lanka, shared their work on integrated hydrological modeling. By combining these models, the research aimed to understand water availability, salinity conditions, and seasonal dynamics. They analyzed business-as-usual scenarios and evaluated the effects of different tidal conditions, water consumption patterns, and irrigation practices at the polder scale. Further, their research also looked at water productivity at the regional scale of each delta.

Ultimately, the goal is to develop efficient water and salinity management strategies based on various modeling scenarios. These strategies will help mitigate the impacts of severe and moderate anthropogenic factors and climate risks on salinity in the polder.

To learn more about the topic, you can watch the full session:

A collaboration between AMD and WUR, Delta Talks is a webinar series focusing on the development and results of research activities on securing food systems and strengthening climate resilience in the Asian mega-deltas. Delta Talks serves as a platform for the joint exchange of research results or ongoing work between AMD and WUR.