Opportunities for benefit sharing in the Meghna Basin, Bangladesh and India

Considering the increasing recognition of the role of benefit sharing in facilitating transboundary water cooperation, the IUCN BRIDGE GBM project is facilitating development of a Transboundary Benefit Sharing Strategy (TBSS) for the Meghna Basin. This report has been developed as an input to anchor dialogue on the development of the Meghna TBSS. This report has therefore attempted to create a compendium of the Meghna Basin, consolidating information on its geophysical, ecological and cultural value. The report also preliminarily scopes the variety of benefits provided by the basin and articulates the opportunities for joint development of the basin to maximise these benefits, such as improved resilience to flood and erosion, food self-sufficiency and security, and conservation of cultural and ecological diversity. It is hoped that the report will be widely disseminated among the key stakeholders in the Meghna Basin and will be used as a reference point to guide dialogue for the development of the IUCN-initiated Meghna Basin TBSS.