Groundwater in seven districts of the northwest region in Bangladesh is replenishing at just 100-210 millimetres, far below the normal rate of 100-515 millimetres, raising concerns over long-term water security in the already drought-prone region, according to a recent study.
The districts are Chapainawabganj, Rajshahi, Naogaon, and Joypurhat, along with parts of Dinajpur, Natore, and Bogura.
Goutam Chandra Mridha, director for irrigation, groundwater and wetland management at the Institute of Water Modelling (IWM), presented the study yesterday at an event titled “Consultation Workshop for the Barind Area Resilient and Innovative Development Project” at a Dhaka hotel, organised by the Asian Development Bank.
IWM conducted the research using data from 1985 to 2025, including rainfall, water levels, and other necessary information.
The depth of the groundwater level increased from 16 metres in 1985 to 36 metres in 2025, according to the study.
It also mentioned that critical dry-season groundwater depths are observed around Nachole, Tanore, Niamatpur and Porsha upazilas, reaching about 33-36m in some locations.
Mridha explained that only a portion of rainwater moves vertically into the ground to recharge aquifers, while the rest is either lost as surface runoff or flows into rivers.
He also said the low recharge rate means groundwater is being replenished much more slowly in this region compared to elsewhere.
If the rate of groundwater extraction surpasses the rate of recharge, it depletes underground reserves over time, causing the groundwater table to fall and raising the cost of lifting water for irrigation from greater depths, Mridha explained.
If groundwater extraction continues at the current rate, he warned that water reserves will eventually be exhausted, exposing people to severe water scarcity.
Mridha also said that despite reducing pumping hours in some areas, the problem persists since private groundwater extraction remains largely uncontrolled and without being monitored.
He also said some individuals are profiting by selling groundwater.
To address the problem, Mridha called for bringing private tubewells under a monitoring and licensing system, reducing dependency on water-intensive Boro paddy cultivation by shifting to other crops, and enforcing legal limits on groundwater extraction under the Bangladesh Water Act, 2013 and the Water Rules, 2018, and bringing it under effective control to ensure sustainable use of the resource.
Humnath Bhandari, country representative of the International Rice Research Institute Bangladesh, said while groundwater irrigation has helped Bangladesh increase rice production by four times over the past five decades, it has come at a significant environmental cost due to heavy groundwater extraction.
He said 91 percent of Boro irrigation now depends on groundwater, placing increasing pressure on already depleted aquifers.
As such, the region challenges, including water scarcity, declining groundwater levels, climate change, outdated crop varieties, soil degradation, and rising production costs, Bhandari also said.
He stressed improving water management through technologies such as alternate wetting and drying, expanding surface water irrigation, and increasing the productivity of Aus and Aman rice varieties, which are less water-intensive crops.
Takeshi Ueda, director of emerging areas in the agriculture, food, nature, and rural development sector office at the ADB, said the Barind region has been identified as a priority area for ADB’s support towards a sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture system.
He also said the initiative aligns with ADB’s medium-term assistance strategy for Bangladesh, which focuses on expanding investment, creating jobs, improving economic connectivity, and promoting balanced regional development through the Integrated Growth Network Development Initiative.
Rafiqul I Mohamed, secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, said, “The 16 districts in the Barind region currently produce 42 percent of the country’s rice, and our goal is to increase this to 45 percent”.
“We cannot rely solely on groundwater. We must store surface water for the Boro season. Without proper water management, large-scale success in the Barind region is not achievable,” he added.
