Pro-Poor Groundwater Development : The Case of the Barind Experiment in Bangladesh
The Barind region, a water-stressed area in northwest Bangladesh, had an underdeveloped agricultural economy and high levels of poverty until two projects revitalized the area with enhanced groundwater irrigation. The Barind Integrated Area Develop...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Brief |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2020
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/888071579802640956/Pro-Poor-Groundwater-Development-The-Case-of-the-Barind-Experiment-in-Bangladesh http://hdl.handle.net/10986/33246 |
| Summary: | The Barind region, a water-stressed area
in northwest Bangladesh, had an underdeveloped agricultural
economy and high levels of poverty until two projects
revitalized the area with enhanced groundwater irrigation.
The Barind Integrated Area Development Project in 1985 and
Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) in 1992
used new water extraction technology and innovative
management practices such as deep tubewells (DTWs) fitted
with smart card–operated electric pumps to develop
drought-resilient irrigation. Both projects have helped the
Barind region reduce poverty and achieve self-sufficiency in
rice. However, there are concerns about declining
groundwater levels in the Barind and nearby regions,
resulting in a temporary halt in DTW expansion. Preliminary
evidence presented in this case study suggests farmers
served by shallow tubewells (STWs) may be losing access to
groundwater in some parts of the Barind region, which can
have significant development implications because these
tubewells remain the predominant source of irrigation. This
evidence provides grounds to question whether an irrigation
model reliant on DTWs is sustainable and equitable in the
long term. Further research is needed to better establish
groundwater conditions and understand the risk to STW users
to inform future policy on DTW-driven agricultural development. |
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