Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Seasonal and regional limits to growth of water-intensive crop farming in Bangladesh

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Sustainable Water Resources Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Irrigation-led expansion of crop farming raised demand for groundwater in Bangladesh. This study aimed to reconcile cropped areas compatible to future water demand using secondary data on cropped area, crop yield, food intake, water footprint, rainfall, river-flow, etc. Yearly and seasonal time series were used in forecasting of areas and yields for all categories of crops. Out of total 76.5 bm3 water consumption for crop farming in the early 2010s, 34.1 bm3 was supplied through irrigation of which 79.8% was from groundwater and that would reach at 100.5, 46.6 and 88.2%, respectively in 2029–30. However, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables and potato were identified as feasible crops on the basis of groundwater demand, dietary-balanced self-sufficiency and domestic resource cost ratio. Any reduction of cereal and sugarcane areas over projections and its adjustment with feasible crops would save about one and a half billion m3 of groundwater in dry season. The demand for diversification effort index justified the necessity of initiating special crop diversification projects for the country’s Eastern Hills, North Central and North East regions. Moreover, any initiatives for building water reservoirs might facilitate for sustainable groundwater management in the long run.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ahmed AMMM, Roy K (2007) Utilization and conservation of water resources in Bangladesh. J Dev Sustain Agric 2:35–44

    Google Scholar 

  • Ahmed M, Suphachalasai S (2014) Assessing the costs of climate change and adaptation in South Asia. Asian Development Bank, Manila

    Google Scholar 

  • Akanda MAI (2008) Process of agricultural development in Bangladesh, first edn. Academic Press and Publishers Library, Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  • Akanda AI (2010) Rethinking cop diversification under changing climate, hydrology and food habit in Bangladesh. J Agric Environ Int Dev 102(1&2):3–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Akteruzzaman M, Kondo T, Osanami F, Doi T (1998) Structure of groundwater market in Bangladesh: a case study of tubewell irrigation investment. Int J Water Resour Dev 14(1):55–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amarasinghe UA, Sharma BR, Muthuwatta L, Khan ZH (2014) Water for food in Bangladesh: outlook to 2030, IWMI research report 158. International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Colombo

    Google Scholar 

  • BADC (2016) Data on irrigation and groundwater tables (personally collected 16.02.2016). Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation, Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  • BBS (2009) Yearbook of agricultural statistics of Bangladesh 2008. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  • BBS (2011) Yearbook of agricultural statistics of Bangladesh 2011. BBS, Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  • BBS (2015) Population projection of Bangladesh. BBS, Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  • BBS (2016a) Yearbook of agricultural statistics of Bangladesh 2015. BBS, Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  • BBS (2016b) Statistical yearbook of Bangladesh 2016. BBS, Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  • BBS (2017a) Yearbook of agricultural statistics of Bangladesh 2016. BBS, Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  • BBS (2017b) Preliminary report on household income and expenditure survey 2016. BBS, Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  • BPC (2016) Seventh 5-year plan 2016–2020. Bangladesh Planning Commission, Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  • CEGIS (2003) Analytical framework for the planning of integrated water resources management. Center for Environment and Geographical Information Services (CEGIS), Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  • CSIRO, WARPO, IWM, BWDB, BIDS, CEGIS (2014) Bangladesh integrated water resource assessments: final report. CSIRO, Canberra

    Google Scholar 

  • CWC (2009) Concept note on water security in Punjab. Conference paper on the water security in India. Columbia Water Center, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Daily Star (2009) November 21). Bright prospect for soybean farming. Daily Star, Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  • FAO (2016) AQUASTAT: FAO database. http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/data/query/index.html. Accessed May 12 2016

  • Fujita K (2010) Rethinking economic development: the green revolution, agrarian structure and transformation in Bangladesh. Kyoto University Press, Kyoto

    Google Scholar 

  • Gujarati DN, Porter DC, Gunasekar S (2009) Basic econometrics, fifth edn. McGraw Hill Companies Inc, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Hossain M, Rahman M, Nath SC (2015) Nature and impact of agricultural mechanization. In: Hossain M, Bayes A (eds) Leading issues in rural development. AH Development Publishing House, Dhaka, pp 91–106

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahtab FU, Karim Z (1992) Population and agricultural land use: towards sustainable food production system in Bangladesh. Ambio 21(1):50–55

    Google Scholar 

  • Mekonnen MM, Hoekstra AY (2010) The green, blue and grey water footprint of crops and derived crop products. IHE research report 47. UNESCO-IHE, Delft

    Google Scholar 

  • Mirza MMQ (1997) Hydrological changes in the Ganges system in Bangladesh in the post Farakka period. Hydrol Sci 42(5):613–631

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MOA (2007) Handbook of agricultural statistics 2007. Ministry of Agriculture in Bangladesh, Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  • MOA (2013) National agriculture policy 2013. Ministry of Agriculture in Bangladesh, Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  • MOA (2016) Projects under the ministry of agriculture (website and personal collection). Ministry of Agriculture in Bangladesh, Dhaka. http://www.moa.gov.bd/. Accessed 21 July 2016

  • MPO (1991) National water plan 2. Master Plan Organization (now WARPO), Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  • Naher K, Choudhury S, Faruque MO, Sultana SSS, Siddiquee MA (2013) Desirable dietary pattern for Bangladesh. Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders (BIRDEM), Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  • NCSS (2016) Time series and forecasting methods in NCSS 11. http://www.ncss.com/software/ncss/time-series-and-forecasting-in-ncss/. Accessed May 2016

  • Pimentel D, Berger B, Filiberto D et al (2004) Water resources: agricultural and environment issues. Bioscience 54(10):909–918

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qureshi AS, McCornick PG, Qadir M, Aslam Z (2008) Managing salinity and water logging in the Indus basin of Pakistan. Agric Water Manag 95:1–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qureshi AS, Ahmed Z, Krupnik TJ (2014) Groundwater management in Bangladesh: an analysis of problems and opportunities. CSISA-MI research report 2. International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  • Rahman A, Alam M (2003) Mainstreaming adaptation to climate change in least developed countries: Bangladesh country case study. IIED working paper 2. International Institute for Environment and Development, Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  • Sattar MA, Moniruzzaman M (2008) Innovative rice-based farming practices for increasing food security in the changing coastal environment in Bangladesh, BSAE souvenir for the 29th national conference. Bangladesh Society of Agricultural Economics (BSAE), Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  • Shahabuddin K (2000) Assessment of comparative advantage in Bangladesh agriculture. Bangladesh Dev Stud 26(1):37–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Shamsudduha M, Chandler RE, Taylor R, Ahmed KM (2009) Recent trends in groundwater levels in a highly seasonal hydrological system: the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna Delta. Hydrol Earth Syst Sci 13:2373–2385

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stitz C, Zeager J (2013) College algebra, third ed. Stitz Zeager open source mathematics. http://www.stitz-zeager.com/szca07042013.pdf. Accessed 10 Feb 2016

  • WARPO (2001) National water management plan 2. Water Resources Planning Organization, Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  • WB (2016) World Bank’s climate change knowledge portal. http://www.sdwebx.worldbak.org/climateportal. Accessed 14 May 2016

  • Yusuf HKM, Islam A (2005) Setting a standard of cereal intake for balanced nutrition in Bangladesh. In: Paper presented in the national workshop on food security in Bangladesh, Dhaka, 19-20 October 2005, pp 51–60

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Comilla University, Comilla, Bangladesh

    M. Aminul Islam Akanda

Authors
  1. M. Aminul Islam Akanda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Aminul Islam Akanda.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Akanda, M.A.I. Seasonal and regional limits to growth of water-intensive crop farming in Bangladesh. Sustain. Water Resour. Manag. 5, 817–830 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-018-0263-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-018-0263-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation