Bangladesh is facing mounting water stress as new satellite data reveals steep declines in freshwater storage across the Ganges–Brahmaputra Basin. A study published in Science Advances shows the basin is losing water at a rate of −1.09 cm per year (−1.40 cm/year when glaciers are included).
This loss stems from a combination of Himalayan glacier melt, over-extraction of groundwater, and reduced river recharge, all of which threaten the country’s food security and drinking water supply.
As nearly two-thirds of Bangladesh’s population relies on agriculture, the shrinking freshwater base risks undermining rural livelihoods and accelerating migration pressures.
Scientists warn that overpumping aquifers is particularly alarming because once depleted, groundwater may not be replenished on human timescales. The country also faces the paradox of increased flood risk during extreme monsoons while long-term reserves continue to decline.
The challenge is not Bangladesh’s alone. Across South Asia, the Indus Basin in Pakistan is drying even faster at −1.23 cm/year, and India shares much of the same declining water resources, making the subcontinent one of the epicenters of global “continental drying.”