ABSTRACT
This chapter raises issues about project impact assessment and describes the aftermath of unanticipated flood and erosion experienced by char (riverine island) dwellers due to the narrowing of river width for the construction of the Jamuna Bridge Project. It revisits past and contemporary thinking on stakeholder consultation and the consequences of inadequate impact assessment. The chapter then focuses on land acquisition and the need to understand broader riverine dynamics, including the ecological and social risks leading to displacement, compensation, and conflict among communities in the project area. This reassessment includes some counterfactual analysis of the planning phase – for instance, how and why the project’s impact was not considered, despite recognition of likely changes in water level up and downstream of the project site. Why did project design ignore and or/fail to consider the impact of narrowing of this river? The author explores what more could, or should, have been done: could a better, more meaningful consultation – coupled with mapping and social assessment for mitigation – have ensured different results? What are the lessons learned and how can we improve project assessment in the future?
