Research Funding: IFS

Faculty Researcher: Dr Sara Nowreen

Collaboration: Lead: Institute of Water and Flood Management (IWFM), BUET

Duration: October, 2018 - December, 2021

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This IFS funded 1.5 years research project proposes piloting abstraction-induced recharge concept (AI-R) as an adaptation option for some probable locations in Bangladesh to meet the un-met water challenges in future. The underlying and implicit assumption of the AI-R concept is that the underground store can be rapidly filled in during the wet season and used up during in the following dry season. But A-IR concept does not have the potential to be applied at the large basin scale in whole Bangladesh. Given the concerns over the mobilisation of natural occurring arsenic due to heavy abstraction through pumping, continuing use/increase of irrigation water should be carefully monitored and managed.  One of the most challenging aspects of reviving the A-IR is to maintain the required flows during the low-flow period. This is particularly true, because many stretches of the river already have an unacceptable level of low flows in the dry season.  Therefore, implementation of AI-R would require testing in pilot projects within limited areas. Under this project, aquifer condition, in-situ groundwater level response to rainfall events etc. will be observed on potential AI-R sites where piloting can be attempted.