Call it the fallout of rapid urbanisation or plain negligence of the authorities, groundwater in Dhaka is sinking at an alarming rate. According to a study by the Institute of Water Modelling in Dhaka in 2009, groundwater in the city is going down three metres every year. It has sunk by 50 metres in the past four decades and is at over 60 metres below the ground.

Quantification of natural groundwater recharge is a basic prerequisite for efficient groundwater resource management and is particularly vital in an area where shallow groundwater is mostly polluted with highly toxic elements. It is especially critical where large and concentrated demand for groundwater supplies exist such as in urban areas, industrial zones and irrigated fields.

This paper analyses water availability and use within and between the Challenge Program on Water and Food basins. It describes the main features of water demand and supply in the basins and indicates where there are deficits and opportunities for development of water resources. A typology of basin water resources status uses a range of global spatial datasets. The main outcomes of basin activities on water availability are identified.