ABSTRACT
Water is life in Bangladesh, a country that has more than 200 rivers, 16,000 sq. km. of wetlands, and 80 percent of whose area is under floodplains that support rich ecosystems, both in quantity and diversity and are a category of riparian zones or systems. The Flood Action Plan was proposed as the panacea for all flood problems in Bangladesh. In 1990, the Government of Bangladesh also set up the Flood Plan Coordination Organisation, which had no legal status, coordinate and monitor Flood Action Plan activities, aided by a "Panel of Experts" and specialists from home and abroad. The Flood Action Plan protest movement opposed the irrational, unprofessional and undemocratic behavior of the Bangladesh government, donors and the World Bank. The non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were assertive about their success in the Flood Action Plan protest movement. They had built linkages with international NGOs, environmental activists, and got access to information, policy debates and politicians regarding the Flood Action Plan policy.
