Living with Uncertainty: Teesta Water Insecurity and Its Impacts on Livelihoods and Cultural Practices in Four Districts of Bangladesh

This study explores the livelihood precariety and socio-cultural damage of the people in four districts connected to Teesta river in Bangladesh. Based on qualitative interview and political ecology and vulnerability framework, the findings detail the severe socio-economic consequences– the submergence of ready-to-harvest crops, the financial burden of adapting with deep tube wells, and the pervasive threat of riverbank erosion that displaces families and fragments communities. The research further documents the erosion of cultural heritage, as temples and mosques are lost to the river, and the precarious existence of those living on transient river islands (chars). While local communities demonstrate significant resilience through strategic cultivation and local embankment efforts, these measures are ultimately insufficient against the scale of the geopolitical problem. The paper concludes that the insecurity of Teesta basin communities is a direct function of inequitable transboundary water governance. It, therefore, advocates for a binding, fair water-sharing agreement between Bangladesh and India, supported by domestic investment in water conservation infrastructure and targeted rehabilitation programs, to restore both the river’s vitality and human security in the basin.