GovTwin / Institution
Gopalganj District
Local Gov
A low-lying district in the southwest of the Dhaka division set in the beel and wetland country of the lower Ganges floodplain. Its economy rests on paddy, freshwater fisheries and wetland resources, with very limited permanent open water and a fast-urbanizing but still materially modest population.
Wealth rank 39/64
(1 = poorest district)
Warming +0.46°C
(1980s–2020s)
Air NO₂ #39/64
(1 = most polluted)
Night-lights +147%
(2014–23 activity)
Built-up 20 km²
Forest loss 91 ha
(2001–23)
Rainfall 1,815 mm/yr
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
- poverty Below-average relative wealth, ranking 39th of 64 districts (1 = poorest) on mean Relative Wealth Index. So what: Mid-low wealth standing means a wetland-dependent population with thin buffers against shocks, justifying continued anti-poverty targeting. Source: Meta Data for Good Relative Wealth Index (HDX), ~2.4 km grid
- climate disaster High annual rainfall (1815 mm) over flat beel and wetland terrain produces prolonged seasonal waterlogging and inundation. So what: Extended waterlogging delays cropping, damages homesteads and isolates communities, capping agricultural productivity. Source: CHIRPS v2.0 precipitation (UCSB Climate Hazards Group) via Google Earth Engine
- urbanization Built-up surface has grown 148% since 2000 to 20.2 km2, among the steepest expansions in the dataset. So what: Rapid built-up sprawl on waterlogging-prone wetland obstructs natural drainage and raises flood risk for new settlements. Source: GHSL built-up surface (JRC) via Google Earth Engine
- economy Nightlights radiance has grown 147% (national rank 19 for growth), indicating real but uneven economic intensification concentrated in a few centres. So what: Fast-rising activity around hubs alongside a still-modest wealth base risks leaving wetland-interior communities behind. Source: VIIRS nighttime lights (annual radiance) via Google Earth Engine
- water Very little permanent surface water (6.8 km2) despite the wetland setting, signalling reliance on seasonal beels and groundwater. So what: Scarce permanent open water makes dry-season irrigation and domestic supply dependent on stressed groundwater and shrinking beels. Source: JRC Global Surface Water (permanent water) via Google Earth Engine
Probable solutions
- Beel and drainage rehabilitation with managed water retention to shorten waterlogging and sustain dry-season water for irrigation. Responsible: Bangladesh Water Development Board · policy proposal
- Drainage-sensitive land-use planning that protects natural floodways from built-up encroachment. Responsible: Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) · policy proposal
- Wetland-fisheries and paddy value-chain support to spread the benefits of rising economic activity to interior communities. Responsible: Department of Fisheries · policy proposal
- Safe drinking-water and managed groundwater supply schemes for wetland-interior unions. Responsible: Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) · policy proposal