Worry over less rainfall

The occurrence of less rainfall this year may lower the groundwater table hampering cultivation in dry season, speakers expressed their concern in a seminar yesterday in the capital.

Addressing an international seminar on 'Water resources and disaster management at macro and micro levels', Food and Disaster Management Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque said groundwater situation -- mainly gets recharged from rain and floodwater -- is completely different this year.

Postgraduate Programme in Disaster Management of BRAC University organized the seminar at BRAC Center Inn in collaboration with Kagawa University and Nagoya University, Japan and Gram Bangla Sangstha.

According to water experts, country's annual groundwater table recedes by 5 metres due to lifting of water by tube wells, but one metre of that gap is recharged by rainfall within the country and four metres by floodwater.

The recharging is very crucial, as Boro rice, the main crop in the country now, is highly dependent on groundwater during dry season of the December-April tenure.

“Bangladesh is dependent on both surface water and groundwater, but 93 percent of surface water of Bangladesh comes across the border from China, Nepal, Bhutan and India,” said Dr Razzaque, who is also an agriculturist by profession.

Referring to experts' view that withdrawal of water from the upstream by India will destroy Bangladesh's ecosystem, he said the government is discussing the issue with India.

He called upon the local and international experts to find out solutions to the problems that are arising out of climate change, which may affect millions of people.

BRAC University's Vice Chancellor Professor Jamilur Reza Choudhury, Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services' (CEGIS) Executive Director Giasuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, Charge De Affaires of Japan in Dhaka Harumitsu Hida also spoke. Academics and students from Japan and Bangladesh took part in the seminar.