Built on rivers, a nation is watching them drying to death. What is Bangladesh doing to bring them back?

Bangladesh officially lists 1,415 rivers in government records, yet a recent study paints a bleak picture: at least 81 of them are already dead or dying. Despite frequent discussions about protecting rivers, which are vital for livelihoods, transport, agriculture. ecological balance, there has been little in the way of effective government action to save them. Bangladesh, celebrated as a riverine country, is criss-crossed by three major river systems: the Ganges-Padma, Brahmaputra-Jamuna, and Meghna. These mighty waterways meander across the country, feeding over 405 other rivers and streams before emptying into the Bay of Bengal, shaping the nation’s deltaic landscape. Each of the three major rivers has numerous tributaries and distributaries. In April this year, the Ministry of Water Resources, the...