Urgent steps needed : Kuakata Beach ravaged by sea erosion
Gofran Palash, Kalapara (Patuakhali)
Severe erosion strikes Kuakata beach every monsoon season. The relentless onslaught of the sea is simultaneously shrinking the beach's width and swallowing up forest areas, infrastructure, and homesteads.
Although the Water Development Board (WDB) attempts to curb erosion by urgently deploying geo-bags and geo-tubes, a permanent solution remains elusive. Moreover, the unplanned use of these geo-tubes—implemented without proper research—is detracting from the beach's natural beauty.
The Government of Bangladesh declared Kuakata a tourism hub in 1998. At that time, the beach spanned 18 kilometers, stretching from Lembur Bon to Gangamoti Point. Over time, the beach's expanse has grown—stretching from the confluence of three rivers in the west to the Ramnabad estuary in the east—to reach approximately 29 kilometers today. However, the trend regarding the beach's width is the opposite; annual storms, tidal surges, and powerful waves cause sand erosion, leading to a gradual narrowing of the beach.
Locals claim that over the past 40 to 50 years, a stretch of the beach spanning one and a half to two kilometers has been lost to the sea. Relentless erosion over the last decade has claimed coconut groves, an LGED rest house, parts of DC Park, Kuakata National Park, the Land Office guest house, and various business establishments, including hotels and motels. Many people have also lost their homes. During the storm and tidal surge season, the sea seems to encroach even further toward human settlements.
Residents recall that Kuakata beach once featured massive sand dunes and vast forest areas; one had to traverse two to three kilometers just to reach the water. Now, the sea has advanced right up to the inhabited areas, raising concerns about Kuakata's very existence and its tourism potential.
Tourists visiting Kuakata express disappointment upon seeing the beach's current state after traveling from far and wide. Immediate, effective, and permanent measures are required to protect the beach.
Anwar Hossain Anu, a local journalist and former president of the Kuakata Press Club, stated that panic grips tourism-related business owners every year with the arrival of the monsoon season.
Al Amin Howlader, General Manager of Sikdar Resort and Villas, remarked that if the erosion caused by weather conditions continues, both tourists and business owners might turn away from Kuakata. Authorities concerned should take swift, effective, and well-planned measures to protect the beach.
Media professional and environmental activist Mezbah Uddin Mannu said, there has been talk of implementing a permanent protection project for an 18-kilometer stretch of Kuakata beach for the past 20 years, yet the project remains stalled. He emphasized that there is no alternative to rapidly implementing the beach protection project if Kuakata is to be developed into a modern tourist city. Both mangrove and non-mangrove forest areas are currently under threat; he further claimed that approximately 75 percent of the forest cover has already been lost.
Md. Shah Alam, Executive Engineer of the Water Development Board in Kalapara, stated that a project worth Tk 759 crore was submitted to the Ministry in 2024 for the long-term and sustainable development of an 11.7-kilometer section of Kuakata beach. The project is currently awaiting approval. In the interim, efforts are underway to curb erosion using geo-tubes as part of emergency maintenance.
