Impacts of ineffective wastewater management on the biodiversity of receiving waters in developing countries are poorly documented. Using a before-after-control-impact methodology, we measured the effects of untreated wastewater release on the fish community in the Barnoi River, Bangladesh. In 2006, prior to untreated wastewater discharge, fish abundance, species richness and water quality were similar across sampling sites. In 2016, after 8 years of wastewater release to the downstream reach, fish abundance and species richness were reduced by >47% and >35% respectively at downstream sites compared to unaffected upstream sites and >51% and >41% lower respectively compared to the pre-wastewater discharge period. The wastewater impact was particularly severe during months of low discharge (October–December). Water transparency, dissolved oxygen and pH were lower (P < 0.001) at impacted downstream sites compared to upstream sites. Nineteen species (41.3% of all species we recorded) are threatened in Bangladesh and the abundance of these species, except one, decreased significantly (P < 0.05) at the impacted sites. We recommend improved wastewater management by applying primary treatment facilities and incorporating reedbed filtration as a mean of biological treatment, into the canals carrying wastewaters. The success of such measures should be tested with fish species that were most responsive to wastewater, using the indicator species concept.

Analysis of long-term data provides a valuable approach to determining the extent of biodiversity decline and likely causes, but such approaches are rare in large tropical rivers. We investigated the response of the fish fauna to hydrological, climate and anthropogenic factors over the period 1982-2017 in the lower Ganges (Padma) River, Bangladesh. Systematic effort-based sampling of fish between 2007 and 2017 from a 70-km reach showed a decreasing trend in abundance and diversity. Compared to 1982 data for the same sites and fishing methods, 28 fish species, including 16 nationally threatened ones, were absent in recent catches, suggesting local extinction of these. Fish community diversity was negatively affected by fishing pressure (71 fishermen in 1980, 2616 in 2019, 37.8-fold increase) and non-native species abundance (6.8-fold increase in abundance between 2007 and 2017). Permanent water area has reduced by ~50% since 1984. Annual mean rainfall, Ganges water depth and river discharge at the study location decreased significantly since 1980 (by 19.2%, 17.8% and 27.6% respectively, while annual air temperature increased (25.1°C in 1981 to 26.2°C in 2019). Water diversion at the Farakka Barrage, ~70 km upstream, is partially responsible for reductions in permanent water area in the study reach. Potential sources of biological invasion and water pollution have been identified. Widespread ecological consequences on fish diversity and productivity, resulting from multiple factors, are occurring in the lower Ganges. Reduction of fisheries impacts and improved prevention of accidental aquaculture releases of non-native fishes are identified as conservation priorities for arresting the decline of native fishes in the lower Ganges.