ENV 203/GEO 205: Introduction to

Geography
Lecture 4
Natural Resources of Bangladesh -1

Moupia Rahman (MpR), PhD

E-mail: [email protected]
 Water resources of Bangladesh
• Pond
• Baor (oxbow lake)
• Haor (depression)
• Lake
• River
• Floodplain
• Estuary
• Coast
• Sea/marine
• Wetlands
 Pond
A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or artificial, that is usually smaller than
a lake.
Apart from direct
self-employment
Total
opportunities from fish
pond area in
farming, pond fish farming
Bangladesh
offers diverse livelihood
estimated as
opportunities for operators
3.71 lakh
and employees of
hector, which
hatcheries and seed
can contribute
nurseries and for seed
4.1 mt. of fish
traders and other
production.
intermediaries. Pond fish
farming has been proved
to be a profitable business
than rice cultivation.
 Baor (oxbow lake)
• 600 baors in south-western
Baor: a curved lake formed from a horseshoe bend
Bangladesh, covering an area of
in a river where the main stream has cut across the
5,488 ha, each ranging from 10
narrow end and no longer flows around the loop of
to 500 ha.
the bend.
• Baors support many of the
freshwater fish species which
produce 7,729 metric ton fish
annually (FRSS, 2017).
• 84,000 people are directly and
indirectly depend on baors.
• The notable baors of the
country are Sagarkhali,
Jaleshwar, Khedapara, Rampur,
Pathanpara, Kathgara, Jogini
Bhagini, Ichamati, Joydia,
Marjat, Harina and Arial.

Lecture 7; MrL
 Haor (depression)
A haor is a wetland ecosystem in the north eastern part of Bangladesh which physically is a
bowl or saucer shaped shallow depression, also known as a backswamp. It has connection
with river(s).

Lecture 7; MrL
 Haor
In greater Sylhet the most ✔ The haors are considered the most productive
prominent haors are: wetland resources of Bangladesh.
• Saneer haor, ✔ The basin supports a large variety of wetland
• Hail haor, bio-diversity and works as natural reservoir as
it plays a key role in basin water resources by
• Hakaluki haor,
regulating water flows of the Meghna river
• Dekar haor, system.
• Maker haor, ✔ Also, the haors are noted sanctuaries of both
• Chayer haor, permanent and migratory birds.
• Tanguar haor, and ✔ With the recession of floodwater, a large
• Kawadighi haor variety of small fishes, oysters, water snails
and bivalves, and pasture spread over the
surface attracting a large number of migratory
birds.
 Lake
▪ Kaptai Lake is the largest
man made lake in
Bangladesh.
▪ It is located in the Kaptai
Upazila under Rangamati
District of Chittagong
Division.
▪ The lake was created as
a result of building the
Kaptai Dam on the
Karnaphuli River, as part
of the Karnaphuli
Hydro-electric project.
▪ The Kaptai Lake's
average depth is 100 feet
(30 m) and maximum
depth is 490 feet (150
m).
River
River
 River

• BD is highly endowed with water resources since a large number

of rivers (200 large and total 700 including smaller ones) have
crisscrossed it.
• The total length of the rivers is >24,000 km.
• The Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna rivers (all originated outside
BD) pass through the country and the total catchment area of
the GBM rivers is about 1.75 million sq. km.
• Only 7.4% of the GBM catchment areas exists within BD.
• A total of 57 rivers (54 from India & 3 from Myanmar) including
the GBM rivers can be defined as Transboundary rivers.
 Floodplain
• Floodplains are relatively
smooth valley floors
adjacent to and formed by
alleviating rivers which are • Types of Flood Plains
subject to overflow. 1 Old Himalayan Floodplain
2. Teesta Floodplain
o Each year in Bangladesh 3. Brahmaputra Jamuna
about 26,000 sq. km (around Floodplain
18% of the country) is 4. Ganges Floodplain
flooded, killing over 5,000 5. Meghna Floodplain
people and destroying more 6. Surma-Kushiara
than seven million homes. Floodplain
o During severe floods the 7. Ganges Tidal Floodplain
affected area may exceed 8. Meghna Estuarine
75% of the country, as was Floodplain
seen in 1998. 9. Ctg coastal Floodplain
 Estuaries
• Estuaries are commonly described as semi-enclosed bodies of water, situated
at the interface between land and ocean, where sea water is measurably
diluted by the inflow of freshwater (Hobbie, 2000).
• Estuaries are dynamic
ecosystems that have
some of the highest biotic
diversity and levels of
production in the world.

• They are not only a direct

source of commercially
important finfish and
shellfish species, but are
also a critical nursery habitat
for commercially important
off-shore species.
 Coast and coastal zone
⚫ The coast is simply where the land
meets the sea

⚫ However, it is not always easy to

define exactly where the land
finishes and the sea begins.
Particularly for extensive low-lying
coastal wetlands, which may be
exposed and apparently terrestrial,
but a number of times a year
become submerged below high
tides.

⚫ It is much more meaningful,

therefore, not to talk of coastlines,
but of coastal zones, a spatial zone
between the sea and the land.
Coastal Zone
⚫ The area between the
landward limit of
marine influence and
the seaward limit of
terrestrial influence
(Carter, 1988). In this
definition coasts often
become wide spatial
areas.
⚫ For planning and
management
purposes, where
administration is
involved, the coastal
zone is much more
variably defined.
 Wetland

Definition of Wetlands
“The areas of marsh,
fen, peat land or water,
whether natural or
artificial, permanent or
temporary, with water
that is static or flowing ,
fresh, brackish or salt
including areas of
marine water, the depth
of which at low tide
does not exceed six
meters can be defined
as wetlands (Ramsar
Convention Bureau,
1971)”.
-A marsh is a type of wetland which is subject to frequent or
continuous flooding.
-Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation
matter. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in
certain parts of the world
-A fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water
or groundwater.

-About 50% of the total land surface in BD is considered as

wetlands (estimated by some authors).
 Coastal Zone of Bangladesh
• What are coast and coastal zone?
• The coast of Bangladesh covers about 710 km in length and hosts a unique
diversity of ecosystems. Depending on the geo-morphological features, the
coastal areas of Bangladesh can broadly be divided into three distinct regions
viz. the eastern region, the central region and the western region.
 Coastal Zone of Bangladesh
• Out of 19 coastal districts (147 upazilas), a total of 48
upazilas in 12 districts that are exposed to the sea and or
lower estuaries, are defined as the exposed coast and
the remaining 99 upazilas of the coastal districts are
termed interior coast.
• In many parts of the world, coastal areas are highly
populated and often the most developed stretches of
land. It is estimated that 40% of the world population
lives within 100 km of a coastline (UNDP, 2000).
• In Bangladesh, about 36 million people live in the coastal
area of Bangladesh and livelihood primarily depends on
agriculture, fishery, forestry, near shore transportation,
salt farming etc.
 The Eastern Zone
• Morphologically the eastern coastline
of Bangladesh from the big Feni river to
Bador Mokam (Southern tip of
mainland) along Chittagong can be
classified as a "Pacific Type" coast
running parallel to the young folded
hilly ranges.
• The east coast is regular and unbroken
and is protected along seacoast by
mudflats and submerged sand.
 The Central Region
• This region begins from the Tetulia
river to the big Feni river estuary
including the mouth of the Meghna
river upto the confluence of Padma
(Ganges-Brahmaputra) and the
Meghna river and Chandpur.
• Heavy sediment load and one of the
most complex tropical estuarine
ecosystems of the world
characterize this zone.
The Western Region
• The western region covers the
coastline westward from the
Tetulia river to the
international boundary (India)
located at the Hariabhanga
river.
• This region is mostly covered
with dense mangrove forests
with deeply scoured tidal
channels of the tidal plain
overplaying abandoned Ganges
delta.
Islands
Mineral Resources
• Natural gas
• Coal
• Limestone
• Hardrock
• Gravel
• Boulder
• Glass sand
• Construction sand
• White clay
• Brick clay, peat and
• Beach sand heavy minerals
 Natural gas
• Natural gases are hydrocarbons that exist as
gas or vapour at ordinary pressures and
temperatures.
• Methane is the most important, but ethane,
propane and others may be present.
• Common impurities include nitrogen,
carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide.
• It may occur alone or associated with oil.

Why abundant in Bangladesh?

Being a delta having a porous and permeable
hydrocarbon-bearing sand structure and
unique conditions for trap, Bangladesh has
always been considered a natural gas rich
country.
Natural gas
 Coal
Coal is a readily combustible Table: Major coal fields and reserves in Bangladesh.
sedimentary rock composed Source: Petrobangla; Geological Survey of Bangladesh.
essentially of lithified plant materials, Coal field Year of Reserve Status
with small amount of inorganic (district) discovery (million
matter present in the form of mineral ton)
impurities. Jamalganj 1962 1053 Minig not
Wet, spongy and porous organic (Joypurhat) feasible
debris called peat is compressed, economically
lithified and altered to coal by burial Barapukuria 1985 303 Underground
compaction and thermal alteration. (Dinajpur) mine started
production
Classification: Khalashpir 1989 147 Undeveloped
(Rangpur)
1. lignite or brown coal
2. sub-bituminous coal Dighipara 1995 200 Undeveloped
(Dinajpur)
3. bituminous coal
4. anthracite coal. Phulbari 1997 380 Open pit mine
(Dinajpur) feasibility study
undertaken in
Lecture 8; MrL 2004
 Limestone

• Limestone a sedimentary rock

consisting chiefly of calcium carbonate,
primarily in the form of the mineral
calcite and with or without magnesium
carbonate.

• In Bangladesh there are surface and

sub-surface deposits of limestone.
• The surface to near surface deposits
are at st martin's island of Cox's Bazar
district and
Bhangerghat-Lalghat-Takerghat of
Sunamganj district.
 Hardrock

Hardrock a term used loosely for igneous and metamorphic rock, as

distinguished from sedimentary rock. These are consolidated rocks like
granite or marble.
Thus the hardrocks of Bangladesh are categorized
as:
(i) Maddhyapara subsurface hardrock,
(ii) Bholaganj-Jaflong hardrock concretions,
(iii) Tetulia-Patgram-Panchagarh hardrock
concretions, and
(iv) Chittagong-Chittagong Hill Tracts
sedimentary concretions.
 Gravel

Gravel unconsolidated, natural accumulation of rounded rock fragments resulting from

erosion, consisting predominantly of particles larger than sand (diameter greater than 2
mm) such as boulders, cobbles, pebbles, granules, or any combination of these fragments.
 References

• http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Mi
neral_Resources
• http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Ga
s,_Natural
• http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Co
al