GovTwin / Institution

Durgapur (Rajshahi)

Local Gov

A small inland Barind upazila in central Rajshahi reliant on paddy and groundwater irrigation across a dry, drought-prone plain.

Wealth rank 157/452 (1 = poorest upazila)

Indicators: Meta RWI (HDX); ERA5-Land; MODIS; Sentinel-5P; VIIRS night-lights; GHSL; Hansen v1.11; CHIRPS v2.0. Exposure: GloFAS v2.1, FABDEM, MODIS LST, ACAG PM2.5, WorldPop 2020.

Problems and issues

water On the dry Barind high-ground with low regional rainfall, Durgapur faces recurrent agricultural drought and heavy dependence on declining groundwater. So what: Falling water tables raise irrigation costs and threaten dry-season cropping. Source: Barind Multipurpose Development Authority
poverty An upazila mean Relative Wealth Index of -0.134, among the lower in the district, marks a deprived rural plain. So what: Low incomes leave farmers with little buffer against drought losses. Source: Meta Data for Good Relative Wealth Index (HDX)
climate disaster Chronic dryness combined with rising heat intensifies heat-and-drought stress on the Barind cropping system. So what: Heat and water shortfalls reduce paddy and pulse yields. Source: Department of Agricultural Extension

Probable solutions

Scale Barind drought-resilient irrigation: buried-pipe distribution, solar pumps metered to limit drawdown, and surface-water reservoir/khari rehabilitation to reduce deep-groundwater dependence. Responsible: Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) · real program
Target rural-upazila livelihood and horticulture value-chain programs to spread growth into the lagging Barind hinterland. Responsible: Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) · policy proposal