Bangladesh, considered to be the world’s largest delta, is a riverine country that is highly vulnerable to climate and weather-related and geophysical hazards due to its topography and geographic location. The country has long been exposed to various climatological, hydrometeorological, and geophysical hazard such as drought, cyclones, storm surge, flood, landslides and erosion etc.

Drought-prone areas in Bangladesh are located in the northwestern and northern regions of Bangladesh and are spread over an area of 5.46 million hectares in the districts of Chapai Nawabganj, Naogaon, Rajshahi, Natore, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Joypurjhat, Pabna, and Bogura. Among the regions, the northwestern Barind tract is especially prone to drought and frequently experience such hazardous events.

The consecutive droughts of 1978 and 1979 directly affected 42% of cultivated land and reduced rice production by an estimated 2 million tons. The 1997 drought reduced food grain production by around 1 million tons, of which about 0.6 million tons is transplanted Aman, entailing a loss of around $500 million (Habiba et al. 2012).

Focusing on Bangladesh Government’s poverty reduction strategy emphasizing ‘raising land productivity and increasing diversification of agricultural production’, BMDW introduced inverted Deep Tube wells, ground water based irrigation project, to increase cropping intensity in northern Bangladesh. The ratio of groundwater to surface water use is much higher in northwestern districts of Bangladesh compared to other parts of the country. Recent studies have expressed apprehension about overutilization of groundwater resources. Some part of the Barind region has shown a declining trend in groundwater level between 1981 and 2011 which also apparently contributes to the suffering because of drought.

The success of Bangladesh Development Plan 2100 heavily depends on the availability of flow in all transboundary rivers. Such drought condition will lead to stagnation in economic growth. The lack of control over the flow of water in transboundary rivers puts Bangladesh in a very precarious situation. Cross-country anthropogenic activities caused a severe negative impact on water resources and eco-systems of northwestern Bangladesh in the recent years.  Statistics show that 92% of water in Bangladesh comes via external rivers and only 8% is local rainfall. Experts and Environmentalists in this region believe that the Farakka and Gojoldoba Dam of India is one of the major causes of drought in the northern region. Due to these two dams, various rivers, canals and rivers including Padma, Jamuna, Mahananda, Teesta in the northern region have dried up Too little water in the rivers during the dry seasons and less rainfall creates drought situations. Since the opening of the two deadly dams, miles of sandbanks have been created across the rivers and the nature of various parts of the northern region has become rough when summer comes which in turn often led to intense food insecurity known locally as Monga. Every year, generally from mid-September through mid-November, this crisis occurs. People call the period Mora Kartik, meaning the month of death and disaster.

An IPCC report said that by 2030, rice and wheat production will decrease by 28 percent due to drought. Bangladesh will suffer from severe food shortage if no initiative is taken right now to prevent drought. Besides, poverty will increase, the country’s economy will be fragile. Health risks will also increase. To avoid the risk of drought, experts suggest reducing the amount of groundwater use, restoring the navigability of rivers and increasing the amount of forest land.

Sustainable Development Goal 15 of the 2030 Agenda aims to “protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss”. Combating desertification and drought were discussed by the Commission on Sustainable Development in several sessions. If things do not change, we are heading for a time where fresh water and rich, productive soil are only a dream of people. This will likely lead to unrest, famine, and huge economic losses that will affect us all, and hinder progress towards the SDGs, including those on zero hunger (Goal 2) and clean water and sanitation (Goal 6).

The United Nations Climate Change Conference COP27 has come up with a breakthrough agreement to provide “loss and damage” funding for vulnerable countries in responding to loss and damage hit hard by climate disaster. There is a possibility for Bangladesh to be involved in the transitional committee as LDC representative. This is high time to sensitize the policymakers and other relevant stakeholders to consider drought and drought induced damage and loss seriously.

It has come to our attention that the issue of drought and desertification in Bangladesh has not received the attention it deserves in discussions on climate change. Surprisingly, the focus has primarily been on Coasts, Haor, Forest, and Wetlands, while the escalating trend of drought in the North Western region is causing evident crises. To address this pressing matter a Drought Convention will be arranged to sensitize the policy actors, policymakers, activists, environmentalists, affected communities and all the relevant stakeholders on the discussion of minimizing and mitigating risks and threats of upcoming events of drought.

To address the issue of drought and enhance agricultural productivity, the Bangladesh Ministry of Disaster Management and Water Resources (BMDW) has implemented initiatives like inverted Deep Tube wells and groundwater-based irrigation projects. However, concerns have been raised about overutilization of groundwater resources, leading to declining groundwater levels in some areas.

Drought conditions and the lack of control over the flow of transboundary rivers pose significant challenges to Bangladesh’s development plans and economic growth. Cross-border activities, such as the construction of dams in India, have impacted water resources and ecosystems in northwestern Bangladesh. The Farakka and Gojoldoba Dams are believed to be major contributors to drought in the region, as they have resulted in reduced water flow in rivers, canals, and tributaries.

Experts warn that without intervention, drought-related impacts will worsen, leading to decreased agricultural productivity, increased poverty, economic fragility, and heightened health risks. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projects a 28% decrease in rice and wheat production by 2030 due to drought. Initiatives such as reducing groundwater usage, restoring river navigability, and increasing forest land are suggested to mitigate drought risks.

Addressing the issue of drought and desertification aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 15 of the 2030 Agenda, which focuses on protecting terrestrial ecosystems, managing forests, combating desertification, and halting biodiversity loss. Failure to take action against drought may result in water scarcity, unproductive soil, social unrest, famine, and economic losses, hindering progress towards multiple Sustainable Development Goals.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference COP27 has recognized the need for “loss and damage” funding to support vulnerable countries affected by climate disasters, including Bangladesh. Sensitizing policymakers and stakeholders to prioritize drought prevention and response is crucial. A Drought Convention is proposed to bring together policy actors, policymakers, activists, environmentalists, affected communities, and stakeholders to discuss strategies for minimizing and mitigating the risks and impacts of drought events.