Assessment of the environmental impacts of regional groundwater flow path fluctuations in the water-stressed drought prone Northern Region of Bangladesh

Abstract

Abstract The purpose of this study is to evaluate the adverse impact of groundwater flow path fluctuations and velocity in the water-stressed drought-prone northern region of Bangladesh. By the integrating geospatial technique and the Darcy flow model computes the volume balance and flows velocity of groundwater flow path fluctuations visualization and flow trends. The residual volume of groundwater flow are decreased gradually, and the flow velocity increased in the last twenty years due to the changes of saturated thickness and hydraulic head. The mean value of flow velocity ranged between 5900 and 7300 m/year and increased in every season from 2001 to 2020. The volume balance residual shows a slight increase from 2001 to 2010, followed by a decrease in 2010–2020. The groundwater flow path fluctuations of the study area are intensely falling and changing its drifts. This findings are indicated that the groundwater flow paths fluctuation is in the Northern Bangladesh are dramatically falling and changing its pattern. This depletion is found on such areas, where occur more groundwater withdrawal for different purposes. Over 31% of the region of the study site is now experiencing severe and extreme drought owing to variations in the groundwater levels. The extraction of groundwater for irrigation, which has a substantial adverse impact on ecological systems and agro-agricultural output of the study area. The current situation of the Northern Bangladesh will be deteriorated significantly if we do not reduce the groundwater discharge from deep aquifers for irrigation and reduce the use of surface water.

Keywords

• Groundwater flow
• Darcy flow model
• Flow fluctuation
• Environmental impacts
• Bangladesh