Bangladesh's northwest faces water security crisis as groundwater recharge plummets

Groundwater in seven districts of Bangladesh's northwest region is replenishing at a rate of only 100-210 millimeters, significantly lower than the normal 100-515 millimeters. This alarming trend, highlighted by a recent study, poses a serious threat to long-term water security in an area already prone to drought.

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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.

The affected districts include Chapainawabganj, Rajshahi, Naogaon, and Joypurhat, with parts of Dinajpur, Natore, and Bogura also impacted. The study, conducted by the Institute of Water Modelling (IWM) using data from 1985 to 2025, revealed a stark increase in groundwater depth, from 16 meters in 1985 to 36 meters in 2025. Critical dry-season depths, reaching up to 36 meters, are now observed in areas like Nachole, Tanore, Niamatpur, and Porsha.

Goutam Chandra Mridha, director at IWM, explained that only a fraction of rainwater recharges aquifers, with the rest lost to surface runoff or rivers. This low recharge rate means groundwater is being replenished much slower than elsewhere. He warned that if extraction continues to outpace recharge, underground reserves will deplete, causing water tables to fall and increasing the cost of irrigation.

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If groundwater extraction continues at the current rate, water reserves will eventually be exhausted, exposing people to severe water scarcity.

Mridha further pointed out that private groundwater extraction remains largely uncontrolled and unmonitored, with some individuals even profiting from selling water. To combat this crisis, he urged for private tubewells to be brought under a monitoring and licensing system. He also called for reducing reliance on water-intensive Boro paddy cultivation, shifting to other crops, and enforcing legal limits on groundwater extraction as stipulated in the Bangladesh Water Act, 2013 and Water Rules, 2018.

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Despite reducing pumping hours in some areas, the problem persists since private groundwater extraction remains largely uncontrolled and without being monitored.

Humnath Bhandari of the International Rice Research Institute Bangladesh noted that while groundwater irrigation has boosted rice production, it has come at a significant environmental cost. He stated that 91 percent of Boro irrigation depends on groundwater, placing immense pressure on depleted aquifers. The situation demands urgent action to ensure sustainable water resource management.

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91 percent of Boro irrigation now depends on groundwater, placing increasing pressure on already depleted aquifers.