T25 Connecting High School and Undergraduate Students to the Geosciences through Multidisciplinary Approaches to Geologic Issues (Posters)

Sunday, 9 October 2022
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Exhibit Hall F

ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF URBANIZATION ON THE DECLINING GROUNDWATER LEVEL OF GAZIPUR DISTRICT, BANGLADESH

Paper number: T25-5
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Authors

Abstract

The Gazipur District belongs to the ‘Madhupur Tract,’ situated in the northern part of Dhaka, the central upland area of Bangladesh. The Gazipur district is located between 23˚53’ to 24˚20’ North latitudes and between 90˚09’ to 90˚42’ east longitude. Geographically, Gazipur is almost the center of Bangladesh, next to the fast-growing and developing Capital City, Dhaka. It is a growing industrial center resulting in rapid urbanization. Due to increased population growth, municipal services are stressed with the increasing demand for natural resources. Consequently, forest and water bodies are diminishing, resulting in significant environmental impacts. Gazipur City (GC) zone covers almost 48.50 km² and is subdivided into a center range, which encompasses 16 km2 surrounding the city's core, and a periphery region which includes the remaining 32.5 km2. The highest population densities are situated in the middle of the central zone, while rural or semi-rural enclaves are located on the periphery. The population density of the GC Corporation is 1,884 inhabitants per square kilometer. Being part of the greater Dhaka metropolitan area, this district also faces insurmountable obstacles due to its uncontrolled growth. These include high levels of poverty and social vulnerability, inadequate infrastructure, lack of social services environmental equity, and incompetent urban management. Domestic and industrial sectors consume the most water in the Gazipur District, with 85 percent of the urban water demand being met by groundwater and 15 percent by surface water. Groundwater reserves are in peril due to uncontrolled groundwater abstraction and chronically reduced recharge, resulting in a constant decline of >2 meters per year of groundwater level. It is necessary to link the impact of industrialization and urbanization on groundwater availability and quality as well.

Keywords: Groundwater level, Urbanization, Industrialization, Population Density

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 54, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2022AM-379416

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