Interview by Chris Stuiveling with Félix Sens on the Nature-Based Future Challenge 2120 Bangladesh
In 2019, a team of seventeen scientists from Wageningen University & Research published a vision for the Netherlands in 2120 (Baptist et al., 2019). The vision was developed with input from landscape architects, climate experts, and economists, and it outlines a future in which the Netherlands benefits from "nature-based solutions." The publication received widespread media attention, and newspapers were filled with discussions about the idea of working with nature instead of against it. Inspired by the ideas of Netherlands 2120, a major competition was launched focusing on the future of another densely populated delta: Bangladesh. Student groups from all over the world participated in this challenge: how can nature-based solutions help Bangladesh in the future? In this interview, Félix Sens, who participated in the competition alongside six other undergraduate landscape architecture students, shares insights about this fascinating project.
Félix, how did you get involved in the Nature-Based Future Challenge?
It's a funny story. Last year I urgently needed credits. Exactly at that moment, a friend of mine saw a flyer hanging in the corridor of Forum, promoting this competition. We decided to form a group of seven landscape architects: the "Dynamic Delta Designers". Like us, 62 other groups have signed up, from all over the world. At the beginning, we knew little about Bangladesh. That changed quickly. During the pre-selection, we had to make a list of tasks that we thought were of current importance for Bangladesh.
Bangladesh, like the Netherlands, is a delta area and therefore under the influence of water. It is both the lifeline and the vulnerability of the country. Sea level rise disrupts the natural balance in Bangladesh and sets in motion a series of negative effects. Firstly, sea level rise will threaten to flood the coastal region. Secondly, rivers will have the problem that they can no longer drain into the sea, which means that inland flooding is also a danger. Thirdly, salinization will increase in the future due to sea level rise and salt water seepage. In addition, problems of river erosion can also worsen due to more intensive rainfall. As a result, there will be less and less (fertile) land in Bangladesh. This is a major problem because the population of Bangladesh is still expected to grow until 2050. Also, almost half of the Bengalese depend on income from agriculture. So something must be done in the short term about land loss and future-proof ways of farming; to literally and figuratively turn the tide.
Figure 1: Sea level rise. (Source: IPCC, 2022)
Did you focus on the whole of Bangladesh?
No, that would be too big a task for the time span of this competition. Due to the high threat of sea level rise, we have focused on the Barisal region. Barisal is the central-southern coastal province of Bangladesh. A huge river, the Meghna, flows here, which is fed from the Himalayas with meltwater and rainwater. It is one of the rivers with the highest discharge in the world. In the southwest of Barisal are the Sundarbans: vast protected mangrove forests. It is perhaps the most typical nature reserve in Bangladesh and protects the coast of Bangladesh in a natural way against wave action, sea level rise and natural violence, such as tropical cyclones.
What is your vision for the Barisal region?
Our vision consists of 'nature-based solutions' that are scalable, cost as little as possible, require as little effort as possible and have the highest possible yield. One of the most important parts of our vision is the construction of a 'mussel reef': an artificial wall that breaks the waves off the sea coast or riverbank. We have been looking for a long time for a material that can set up such an artificial reef. The ideal material turned out to be bamboo, which can withstand weathering, is cheap and is also naturally degradable. In our vision, we propose a temporary pole structure made of bamboo that is located 100 meters from the sea coast - or at a shorter distance from a riverbank - on which oysters can grow. Oysters are living creatures and as the population of oysters grows, the shore also increases in size. Gradually, the structure forms a seawall, making the conditions between the wall and the coastline calmer. Sediment precipitates here, which is used to reclaim land and allow the mangrove forest to expand further. Within 5-10 years, a mangrove forest can grow up to 100 meters to the sea, after which the wall is moved again (see figure 2). In addition, the seawall provides a fine condition for marine organisms such as fish, crabs and other marine organisms. In our view, the maintenance of the reef is done by local residents who can catch fish and crabs behind the reef. In this way, the system is self-sustaining and you facilitate a natural way of land reclamation.
Figure 2: Land acquisition.
What are future-proof ways of farming?
Despite our ambitions of natural land acquisition, it is likely that land will disappear in Bangladesh in the future. That is why it is essential to use the land that is still there as effectively but also sustainably as possible. At the moment, this does not happen everywhere. Typical of this is shrimp farming, which causes further salinization and withering of the interior (see Figure 3). We have therefore also looked for nature-based solutions for agriculture in our vision.
Figure 3: Shrimp farming.
One of these proposals is floating agriculture: an age-old method of farming that uses rafts. These rafts are composed of water hyacinth and bamboo and can move with the tide. As a result, they do not suffer from flooding.
A second form of nature-based agriculture is the combination of fish farming and rice production. During periods of abundant precipitation and high water levels, fish can swim among the rice plants, while in drier times they move to the deeper ditches next to the fields. This system offers several benefits to the farmer: it provides an additional source of protein in the form of fish, reduces the need for pesticides as the fish feed on harmful insects, and lowers the need for fertilizers because the rice benefits from the nutrients from the fish excrement. This method is a clear example of a nature-based solution that is at odds with the common use of pesticides. However, its application requires extensive technical knowledge, which needs to be further developed among local farmers (Ahmed & Garnett, 2011).
Figure 4: Rice-fish production. (Source: Yi, 2019)
Figure 5: IMTA.
As a final solution, we propose the use of Integrated MultiTrophic Aquaculture (IMTA). IMTA is a sustainable form of aquaculture in which different species of plants and animals are grown together in a way that uses the natural cycles. You have to imagine it as 5 different ponds in which fish, mussels and shrimp and seaweed are grown separately. Water circulates through the various ponds, with the waste products from one pond forming the raw materials for the other. In particular, the shellfish and seaweed use excrement and food scraps as nutrients. In this way, the system can maintain itself without additional additions. Every part of this pond can be eaten or sold, when harvested in moderation.
Our vision map brings together the various components of our vision (see Figure 6).
Figure 6: Vision map Barisal 2120.
How does your vision translate into reality?
Unfortunately, in this project we did not get the chance to travel to Bangladesh to speak to stakeholders and local residents. It is therefore always difficult to say whether our vision is in line with the perception there. Moreover, in conversations with experts, we have learned that Western influences are not always appreciated in countries such as Bangladesh. Just like a close-knit village in Brabant sometimes doesn't think much of someone from the Randstad. Farmers have been farming their way here for hundreds of generations, so you need to find a good way to tell your story. In our vision for Barisal, we invite local residents to introduce nature-based solutions to local populations, for example with learning packages.
What was it like to do such an international project?
For me, the Challenge was very educational! During the project we were helped by experts from whom we all learned a lot. One of these experts was Petra Dankers: a professional in the field of Nature Based solutions at Royal Haskoning. She has realized similar projects in Bangladesh, Indonesia and Myanmar. Tom Wilms, project engineer at Witteveen/Bos, also helped us. We were also personally coached throughout the process. I mainly learned how to communicate and collaborate as effectively as possible. It is important in such large projects that you divide the tasks based on each other's qualities.
I am very happy with the end result. We were eventually able to pitch the plan to about 250 people, including two ambassadors from Bangladesh, which I thought was very cool. I can recommend everyone to participate in a similar competition because you come into contact with all kinds of driven international students, companies and experts from whom you learn a lot!
Special thanks to the Dynamic Delta Designers: Eva de Boer, Riva Kramer, Jasper Kirpensteijn, Abel Nijsink, Sophie Righolt, Félix Sens en Floor Wiegerinck.
Figure 7 (left): The Dynamic Delta Designers.
Figure 8 (right): Félix Sens presents the vision on the 11th of June, 2024.
References
Ahmed, N., & Garnett, S. T. (2011). Integrated rice-fish farming in Bangladesh: meeting the challenges of food security. Food Security, 3, 81-92.
Baptist, M., van Hattum, T., Reinhard, S., van Buuren, M., de Rooij, B., Hu, X., ... & Selnes, T. (2019). Een natuurlijkere toekomst voor Nederland in 2120.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (2022). Sea Level Rise and Implications for Low-Lying Islands, Coasts and Communities. In The Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate: Special Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (pp. 321–446). chapter, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
The Guardian. (2022, July 20). ‘White gold’: why shrimp aquaculture is a solution that caused a huge problem. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jun/30/shrimp-aquaculture-bangladesh-solution-that-caused-huge-problem
The New York Times. (2014, March 28). https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/29/world/asia/facing-rising-seas-bangladesh-confronts-the-consequences-of-climate-change.html. The New York Times.
Yi, S. (2019). Contingent valuation of sustainable integrated agriculture–aquaculture products: The case of rice–fish farming systems in South Korea. Agronomy, 9(10), 601.
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