Water Crisis: A Looming Threat to Bangladesh’s Economy

According to the new research from WaterAid, groundwater in the climate-vulnerable country is being deplected faster than ever before. 

Falling by as such as three meters per year in some places, new research from WaterAid said that groundwater in the climate-vulnerable country is depleting faster than before. 37% increase from 2020 levels as consumptions which were set to reach to reach 55 billion cubic meters per year by 2040. 

Jonathan Farr, director at WaterAid said that despite the recent political upheaval, Bangladesh has good economic potential. "Too much of the country’s growth is fueled by increasing demand of water, in particular for rice cultivation and in some other industrial counter-parts," says Jonathan. Also adds “it has a very skilled, highly educated population. 

Climate change is said to be a big risk for Bangladesh. Flooding from a web of tributaries that feeds in the Ganges river, saline intrusion from sea level rise and seasonal cyclones, all of this were experienced by Bangladesh, exacerbating global warming. Water contaminants from industrial activities were complex hydrology  compounds. The WaterAid report showed that nearly half of the country’s population still lacks reliable access to clean water, despite achieving annual economic growth above 6 per cent. 

Syeda Rizwana Hasan acknowledges that Bangladesh will have to reduce water extraction to prevent desertification, an adviser in charge of water and environment within the newly formed government. She also said in an interview that officials are working to develop an action plan to clean up rivers, so that the country can deviate to surface water. 

According to a report, Bangladesh’s current water plans would require an investment of nearly $50 billion through 2030 and less than 20 per cent of that has been currently allocated. Hasan said that the water plans have yet to be discussed externally as International Monetary Fund offers assistance to the new administration over the past few weeks.

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