Bangladesh is witnessing the worst political turmoil it has seen in decades, but according to recent reports, there is some good news, as Bangladesh has made a remarkable scientific discovery that could end up providing fresh water to its millions of residents.
Scientists from the Columbia Climate School’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory have found an incredibly vast underground reservoir of freshwater beneath the Ganga–Brahmaputra delta near the Pusur River. The freshwater is believed to be 20,000 years old from around the last Ice Age. Rainfall and river flows filled the groundwater reservoir with billions of litres of fresh water. Over thousands of years fine sediments from the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers sealed the water in place beneath layers of salty groundwater.
Huge relief to Bangladesh
According to reports, researchers used advanced deep-sensing magnetotelluric soundings, which can differentiate between fresh and salt water, and initial findings suggest that the reservoirs may contain up to 10 billion cubic meters of freshwater. This is a huge relief to the people of Bangladesh, as about 41% lack safe drinking water.
Two major zones have been identified, one in the north which is about 800 meters deep and around 40 kilometers long and another one in the south which is said to be about 250 meters deep with the same spread of 40 kilometers long.
Experts have suggested that the ancient freshwater is a lifeline for the coastal Bangladesh area, as they lack access to safe drinking water and have been increasingly affected by salt and arsenic contamination.
Sustainable management is essential
Scientists have stressed that the water needs to be extracted carefully and sustainable management is necessary. Over-pumping could result in the saltwater going downwards and contaminate the fresh water thus extraction should be slow and controlled to preserve the resource.
This discovery raises hopes that similar water resources could be find in the region.
