ENV 203/GEO 205: Introduction to Geography

Lecture 4
Natural Resources of Bangladesh -1

Moupia Rahman (MpR), PhD

E-mail: moupia2004@yahoo.com
 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 opportunities
Total
from fish farming, pond
pond area in
fish farming offers diverse
Bangladesh
livelihood opportunities for
estimated as
operators and employees
3.71 lakh
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 Floodplain
(around 18% of the country) 4. Ganges Floodplain
is 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 (district) Year of Reserve Status
discovery (million
with small amount of inorganic ton)
matter present in the form of mineral Jamalganj 1962 1053 Minig not
impurities. (Joypurhat) feasible
Wet, spongy and porous organic economically
debris called peat is compressed, Barapukuria 1985 303 Underground
lithified and altered to coal by burial (Dinajpur) mine started
production
compaction and thermal alteration.
Khalashpir 1989 147 Undeveloped
(Rangpur)
Classification: Dighipara 1995 200 Undeveloped
1. lignite or brown coal (Dinajpur)
2. sub-bituminous coal Phulbari 1997 380 Open pit mine
3. bituminous coal (Dinajpur) feasibility study
undertaken in
4. anthracite coal. 2004

Lecture 8; MrL
 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=Mineral_
Resources
http
://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Gas,_
Natural
http://
en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Coal