Analysis on Groundwater-Table Declination and Quest for Sustainable Water Use in the North-Western Region (Barind Area) of Bangladesh

Abstract

The availability of adequate freshwater of appropriate quality has become a limiting factor for worldwide development. In the semi-arid and arid regions, where water scarcity was always a dominant problem, interference with natural system such as mining of groundwater resulted in deterioration of water quality and sustainability issue. This study presents the trend of historical water-table scenario of north-western semi-arid zone (Barind tract) of Bangladesh and the future scenario by using MEKESENS software tool. The study demonstrates that the depth of water-table (WT) is declining for almost all of the wells there. In some wells, the depth of WT will be doubled by 2030, and almost in all wells by 2050, if the present trend of withdrawal continues. This situation could be a serious threat to the ecology and sustainability of food production in the region. For the sustainable use of the groundwater and to avoid possible irreversible environmental consequences, necessary and feasible measures and policy implications are discussed.