WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN BANGLADESH

摘要

Bangladesh lies in the Bengal Basin located to the north and northeastern part of South Asia. This basin between the Great Himalayan Range and the Bay of Bengal has three big rivers named the Ganga, the Brahmaputra and the Meghna. It has a catchment area of around 17,48,300 square kilometers of which only 8.46% lies in Bangladesh. Being located at the lower ends of those three river basins, about 75% of its water resources arrive from outside the country. Bangladesh receives about 2300 mm average annual rainfall on its territory. But it has seasonal variations. In recent years, expanding agriculture and excessive withdrawal for irrigation leading the groundwater table fall deeper at regions unable to recharge to its original position. The shallow tube wells were unable for operation during summer. Excessive withdrawal of surface water by low lift pumps leaves some major rivers in the central west region to dry up in summer. Excavated ponds in the city areas are being filled for housing, in the countryside for agriculture. This is reducing the public amenities and increasing environmental degradation. The toxic wastes of the industrial areas are damaging river waters, and creating serious threats to the groundwater by percolation. The paper discusses the above situation in details and points to the threats should be addressed by the government for proper management of the both surface and groundwater.