This project supports a seminar on "Floods in Bangladesh, Alternative Solution Strategies" to be conducted at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) by the Bangladesh Environment and Flood Committee in America (BEFCA) in conjunction with the Institute for Flood Control and Drainage Research (IFCDR) of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). The Water Resources Center and the International Programs and Studies Unit of UIUC are both collaborating in the organization and conduct of the conference. The conference is to address the currently proposed ideas to deal with the floods and resulting destruction in Bangladesh with special consideration to the impact on life protection, environmental issues, and availability of needed resources. Sessions will include: existent plans; pre- feasibility studies; engineering and hydrological issues; agriculture and economy; and environment and society. Summary and recommendations will be discussed in a separate session. The meeting is to include in addition to the U.S. and invited Bangladeshi scientists, experts from France and Japan, and from other European countries. The results will be published in a Proceedings Volume to be made available to international agencies and to the Government of bangladesh for consideration and implementation. Scope: The flood problems in Bangladesh are well known for their frequency and wide destruction. Less known is the main benefits to food production that they normally provide. Learning to minimize one and maximize the other is part of national and international efforts. A sound scientific basis for these efforts is what is planned for this meeting. The results could be of more generic benefit for countries with similar problems.
