GovTwin / Institution

Pirgachha (Rangpur)

Local Gov

A southeastern Teesta-side upazila of Rangpur, with paddy and tobacco farming along the river floodplain.

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

1. poverty A mean Relative Wealth Index of -0.151 places Pirgachha in the poorer fourth decile of upazilas, reflecting a modest rural asset base. So what: Limited assets slow recovery from flood and lean-season shocks. Source: Meta Data for Good Relative Wealth Index (HDX)
2. climate disaster On the Teesta floodplain, Pirgachha faces recurrent monsoon flooding and riverbank erosion that erode farmland. So what: Erosion and flooding strip away cropland and displace char households. Source: Bangladesh Water Development Board
3. agriculture Scant permanent surface water leaves dry-season irrigation for paddy and tobacco dependent on groundwater. So what: Groundwater dependence raises costs and stresses the aquifer. Source: Barind Multipurpose Development Authority

Probable solutions

• Strengthen Teesta riverbank protection and embankment maintenance and revive the long-pending Teesta river-management works to cut erosion and flood exposure Responsible: Bangladesh Water Development Board · Teesta river-management works
• Expand surface-water harvesting, re-excavate canals and promote alternate wetting and drying and low-lift surface irrigation to reduce groundwater dependence Responsible: Barind Multipurpose Development Authority / Department of Agricultural Extension · policy proposal