Avert Bangladesh’s looming water crisis through open science and better data

Abstract

Bangladesh is home to a network of hundreds of rivers and the world's largest river delta, the Ganges Delta. Historically, the nation has been water rich. But that is changing owing to declining rainfall, more-intensive irrigation and heavier use of water upstream. Contamination from arsenic and sewage is also on the rise.To feed our future planet, it is crucial that water is used more sustainably in agricultural regions such as Bangladesh. Other agricultural hotspots face similar water stresses, including the Western and Central United States, northern India and Brazil 1,2 , where falling water tables punish farmers and grab headlines.Bangladesh has taken some steps to address the problem. In 2018, its Ministry of Planning published the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100 (BDP; see go.nature.com/3s26anc). This outlines a long-term strategy for the country's sustainable and resilient socio-economic development in a changing climate. Water security is a key part of this plan. Although the BDP rightly identifies the main issues facing the nation's water, it is vague on effective actions. These will require heavy investments and more supporting research.Intensive irrigation and climate change are depleting groundwater reserves in this fast-developing nation. To improve its water security, researchers need more information on water use, quality, flows and forecasts.

Unsustainable groundwater-fed irrigation drives deltaic water scarcity and compound flooding

“…Such a pressure on river deltas may result in increasing flood risk and water quality alterations due to climate-induced sea level rise and human-induced land subsidence. The Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) delta is a global hot spot for compounding impacts of climate change and human activity, such as intensive groundwater pumping for irrigation, sea level rise and decrease in precipitation, severely affecting water availability and quality (4). The GBM delta is mostly composed by Bangladesh, which has implemented nationwide policies to achieve food security through a self-sufficient rice production, in detriment of water security (5,6).…”

“…The Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) delta is a global hot spot for compounding impacts of climate change and human activity, such as intensive groundwater pumping for irrigation, sea level rise and decrease in precipitation, severely affecting water availability and quality (4). The GBM delta is mostly composed by Bangladesh, which has implemented nationwide policies to achieve food security through a self-sufficient rice production, in detriment of water security (5,6). That includes irrigated rice production during dry seasons, spanning November through March, requiring intensive groundwater pumping.…”

Bangladesh's food security under input problems: An analysis of constrains and policy response

“…One of the reasons for the depletion of water storage is the excessive use of groundwater for agricultural purposes. The groundwater level has been dropping by about 1 m yearly since 2000 (Getirana et al, 2022).…”

Large‐Scale Groundwater Monitoring in Brazil Assisted With Satellite‐Based Artificial Intelligence Techniques

“…In Brazil, about 57% of its municipalities have groundwater supply to some extent (IBGE, 2020). Human activities and climate change have been changing the hydrological cycle, which, in turn, may have an impact on aquifers worldwide (Chagas et al., 2022; Getirana et al., 2021, 2022; Richey et al., 2015; Rodell et al., 2018). Therefore, it is essential to understand groundwater spatiotemporal dynamics to ensure its sustainable use, enabling an optimal management that can affect the various sectors of society such as agriculture, power generation and water supply.…”