Sara Nowreen

Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology, Institute of Water and Flood Managment (IWFM), Faculty Member

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Professor Sara has been teaching & conducting research in water & sustainable development for more than 12 years. She started her career joining BUET, Bangladesh in 2011 and promoted to Professor in 2024. She has been actively engaged in various international and national collaborative research projects. She has already received prestigious international research grants as PI, for instance, Earth Science Innovation Award 2023 (equivalent to $15000), TWAS-Elsevier Foundation 2022 ($22662), UKRI’s Rapid Response 2020 ($6160), SDC-HUC-ICIMOD 2018 ($25,000 in collaboration with Sikkim University, India), IFS 2018 ($12,000), IFS 2014 ($12,000); national KGF Competitive Grants 2020 ($109475 in collaboration with BADC), ICT research innovation 2019 ($24000); and University basic research grant ($18142). Last year she also received CRECS 2020 ($28,000) from Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research as PI in collaboration with Tribhuvan University, Nepal and TERI advance of studies, India but later she transferred it to Nepal counterpart to avoid COVID consequences. Sara also led a groundwater table cum watershed study as a consultant for IUCN and water balance study for Compass. Sara now also serves international editorial Board of MRD journal & acts as an associate editor in ‘Water and Climate’ of Frontiers. Notably, between 2013 and 2016-17 she made short research visits as an academic visitor at University College London, UK. Not only that her performance during that visit was excellent, but also since her return she has been continuing her research in the same groundwater field with all the more vigor. Her performance was also praise worthy during her prior visit to the UK MetOffice as a visiting scientist in 2012. In parallel with her research, she also has experience in directing and monitoring high school performance as one of the governing body members of the BUET school. At BUET, she teaches Groundwater Resource Assessment, Interdisciplinary Field Research Methodology, Watershed Hydrology, and Gender, Water, and Society.

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Papers by Sara Nowreen

Editorial: Water supply sustainability and challenges in Asian megadeltas under global change

Frontiers in water, May 15, 2024

Editorial on the Research Topic Water supply sustainability and challenges in Asian megadeltas un... more

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Deciphering of Groundwater Recharge Potential Zones in Dhaka City, Bangladesh by RS and GIS Techniques

Groundwater resources in Dhaka city have reached critical limits due to over-exploitation. Over-p... more Groundwater resources in Dhaka city have reached critical limits due to over-exploitation. Over-pumping of groundwater accompanied by lack of replenishment via infiltration have resulted in substantial declination of water-levels over the last two decades. Replenishment of groundwater using artificial recharge is therefore essential for proper management of groundwater resources in the city. This study employed various remote sensing (RS) data and geographical information system (GIS) techniques to explore favorable artificial recharge sites for Dhaka city. Different influential thematic layers such as drainage density, lineament density, land use/land cover (LULC), slope, and lithology were integrated by weighted overlay method to form a new integrated layer. The integrated map reveals favorable artificial recharge zones in Dhaka city. The results of the study reveal that about 11% of the study area can be considered to possess excellent potential for artificial recharge, while 25%, 23%, 22%, and 19% of the study area demonstrate good, moderate, low, and poor potential, respectively. The outputs of the study could contribute to effective planning for future projects on artificial recharge in Dhaka city.

Development of potential map for groundwater abstraction in the northwest region of Bangladesh using RS-GIS-based weighted overlay analysis and water-table-fluctuation technique

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2021

The increasing trend of population growth along with the rapid groundwater-based agricultural exp... more The increasing trend of population growth along with the rapid groundwater-based agricultural expansion and decreasing trend of mean annual rainfall in the Northwest region of Bangladesh has been exacerbating the declination of groundwater for further expansion. Therefore, the present study attempts to demarcate the potential groundwater abstraction zones from the assessment of potential recharge and available recharge. Potential recharge was obtained with commonly used geospatial-based weighted linear combination (WLC) technique. Here, WLC analysis was based on eight factors related to physiographic (e.g. drainage density, lineament density, slope), geomorphologic (e.g. geomorphology, lithology, soil), land use and land cover (LULC) and hydrology (i.e. rainfall). Available net recharge was assessed for the period 1993-2017 by employing the water table fluctuation method. Finally, the resultant map on potential abstraction was characterized into five different classes, viz. 'very low', 'low', 'moderate', 'high' and 'very high'. The derived map reveals that 'very high' potential zone is distributed along the Teesta river floodplain, especially the northeastern part. In contrast, the Barind Tract (i.e. the southwestern and the southcentral parts) area shows 'very low' groundwater prospect. Such fused interpretations are expected to contribute to the planning of integrated management of water resources.

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The Bengal Water Machine: Quantified freshwater capture in Bangladesh

Science, Sep 16, 2022

Global food security depends upon the sustainability of irrigated agriculture. Rising groundwater... more Global food security depends upon the sustainability of irrigated agriculture. Rising groundwater withdrawals from seasonally humid, alluvial plains across tropical Asia have enabled dry-season rice cultivation. This groundwater pumpage increases available subsurface storage that under favorable conditions amplifies groundwater replenishment during the subsequent monsoon. Here, we quantify empirically for the first time this nature-based solution to seasonal freshwater storage capture described as 'The Bengal Water Machine', revealing its potential and limitations. Based on a million piezometric observations from 465 monitoring wells, we show the collective operation of ~16 million smallholder farmers in the Bengal Basin of Bangladesh from 1988 to 2018 has induced cumulative freshwater capture that volumetrically (75-90 km 3) is equivalent to twice the reservoir capacity of the Three Gorges Dam. The intensification of agricultural production enabled by irrigation over the last half century has contributed unquestionably to improved global food security (1). Over the last half century, global groundwater withdrawals for irrigation have risen substantially to ~950 km 3 /year in 2010 (2) due in part to their resilience to climate variability and change (3). Groundwater depletion has, however, been observed in association with intensively irrigated, large-scale farming in dryland areas such as the North China Plain, California Central Valley, and southern High Plains of the United States (4-6), and threatens global food security (7). In the Indo-Gangetic Basin, groundwater depletion has recently been observed to arise from high pumping rates for irrigation but is largely restricted to semi-arid regions of northern India and Pakistan (8).

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Groundwater recharge processes in an Asian mega-delta: hydrometric evidence from Bangladesh

Hydrogeology Journal, Oct 7, 2020

Groundwater is used intensively in Asian mega-deltas yet the processes by which groundwater is re... more Groundwater is used intensively in Asian mega-deltas yet the processes by which groundwater is replenished in these deltaic systems remain inadequately understood. Drawing insight from hourly monitoring of groundwater levels and rainfall in two contrasting settings, comprising permeable surficial deposits of Holocene age and Plio-Pleistocene terrace deposits, together with longer-term, lower-frequency records of groundwater levels, river stage, and rainfall from the Bengal Basin, conceptual models of recharge processes in these two depositional environments are developed. The representivity of these conceptual models across the Bengal Basin in Bangladesh is explored by way of statistical cluster analysis of groundwater-level time series data. Observational records reveal that both diffuse and focused recharge processes occur in Holocene deposits, whereas recharge in Plio-Pleistocene deposits is dominated by indirect leakage from river channels where incision has enabled a direct hydraulic connection between river channels and the Plio-Pleistocene aquifer underlying surficial clays. Seasonal cycles of recharge and discharge including the onset of dry-season groundwater-fed irrigation are well characterised by compiled observational records. Groundwater depletion, evident from declining groundwater levels with a diminished seasonality, is pronounced in Plio-Pleistocene environments where direct recharge is inhibited by the surficial clays. In contrast, intensive shallow groundwater abstraction in Holocene environments can enhance direct and indirect recharge via a more permeable surface geology. The vital contributions of indirect recharge of shallow groundwater identified in both depositional settings in the Bengal Basin highlight the critical limitation of using models that exclude this process in the estimation of groundwater recharge in Asian mega-deltas.

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Study on Abstraction-Induced Recharge as an Adaptation Response to Climate Variation for Shallow Aquifer in Bangladesh

Mechanism of groundwater response to recharge and ITS quantification for shallow aquifers in Bangladesh

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Development of an operational IWRM framework in a selected small scale water resources development sector project

Background 1 1.2 Rationale of the Study 3 1.3 Objectives of the Study 4 1.4 Limitations of the St... more Background 1 1.2 Rationale of the Study 3 1.3 Objectives of the Study 4 1.4 Limitations of the Study 4 1.5 Organization of the Thesis 5 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 IWRM And Its Operationalization 6 2.1.1 Constraints in IWRM implementation 7 2.2 IWRM Framework 9 2.2.1 Examples of IWRM practice 11 2.3 IWRM in Bangladesh 2.3.1 Integrated Planning for Sustainable Water Management 2.3.2 Small Scale Water Resources Development Sector Project 2.3.3 Integrated Coastal Zone Management 2.3.4 BRAC/Water, Sanitation and Hygiene program 2.3.

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Groundwater Fluctuation in Response to Annual Rainfall in North-West Region of Bangladesh

Springer eBooks, 2020

Bangladesh is dependent upon groundwater to satisfy the enormous demand for domestic and agricult... more Bangladesh is dependent upon groundwater to satisfy the enormous demand for domestic and agricultural water supplies. As reliable surface water resources have reduced significantly and the demand for water continues to rise there is an increase in groundwater reliance. In order to ensure future sustainability of groundwater supplies it is essential to make better utilization of such an important resource. A simplistic statistical approach (i.e., correlation) is done with the assumption that a strong relationship exists between these two variables particularly in case of a shallow unconfined aquifers. However, only 35% of the groundwater monitoring wells show high positive correlation with the corresponding rainfall observations. Poor statistics are found in cases where natural recharge condition might be absent due to the strong influence of irrigation withdrawal of GW or the closer proximity of the influent river(s) or the unfavorable impermeable topsoil condition. Some evidence shows that groundwater level is discharging to surface water level during the dry season while reversing behavior is observed during the wet season. Additionally, the study compares the GW level position during the dry (April–May) and wet (July–October) seasons for 1993–2017. Increasing dependency on groundwater over surface water shows a significant drop in groundwater position, especially during the dry season.

Assessing the right to water of the urban poor in Dhaka city

GeoJournal

Sustainability Challenges to Springshed Water Management in India and Bangladesh: A Bird’s Eye View

Sustainability, Mar 13, 2023

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more

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Cimca: Infusing Computational Intelligence in Multi-Criteria Analysis to Assess Groundwater Potential for Recharge

A Machine Learning-based Approach for Groundwater Mapping

Natural Resources Research, 2022

In Bangladesh, groundwater is the main source of both drinking water and irrigation. Suction lift... more In Bangladesh, groundwater is the main source of both drinking water and irrigation. Suction lift pumps and force mode of operation are the predominant technologies for groundwater abstraction in Bangladesh. For a sustainable usage policy, it is thus important to identify which technology would be more appropriate for which area in Bangladesh. With that aim in mind, this paper proposes a methodology that leverages the power of machine learning that can potentially learn intricate relationships between the (annual maximum) groundwater level (GWL) and the relevant hydrogeological factors (HGFs). A number of machine learning algorithms—both classification and regression models—was trained. Our classification models were trained as a binary classifier to predict the abstraction technology of a particular point. Notably, our best classification model was based on the Random Forest algorithm, which achieved an accuracy of 91% and an excellent value of 96% for the area under receiver operating characteristics curve, indicating its strong discriminant capability. We also identified (elevation derived from) digital elevation model, specific yield and lithology as the three most important HGFs for GWL in Bangladesh. On the other hand, to predict the actual (annual maximum) GWL, we employed a two-stage approach, where we first employed the above-mentioned classification model to identify the suitable abstraction technology for the point of interest and subsequently predict the actual GWL using the appropriate Random Forest regressor. This also had a reasonable accuracy (minimum absolute error was less than 1 for suction mode and less than 5 for the force mode). Finally, using our prediction models, we prepared groundwater (technology) maps for the whole Bangladesh.

Sustainability Challenges to Springshed Water Management in India and Bangladesh: A Bird’s Eye View

Sustainability, 2023

Springshed management across mountainous states, such as India and Nepal, has paved the way for t... more Springshed management across mountainous states, such as India and Nepal, has paved the way for the groundwater recharge process. In contrast, despite introducing several interventions, the Bangladeshi government has never been officially exposed to such sustainable ideas for a spring revival. Therefore, this study aims to diagnose water security for the Himalayan region by applying an environmental security framework. Community perceptions documented through focus group discussions and key informant interviews, as well as water sample testing, helped highlight the existing issues of water scarcity, accessibility, quality, and governance structure. Exemplifying the condition of Bandarban in Bangladesh, notable gaps were found in spring-related scientific understanding. Specifically, the lack of adequate reservoirs, institutional coordination, water supply, utility maintenance, and accessibility hurdles were identified as areas requiring immediate attention. As a recovery route, a six-step protocol of springshed management shows more promising outcomes. However, Sikkim communities in India raised questions over its efficacy due to the improper execution of said protocols. A limited understanding of hill science, including inventory and inadequate inspections before implementation, were found to result in only partial success. Upgrading remains a challenge as maladaptation might increase landslides. Therefore, development plans demand rigorous science-based investigation, consideration of local community knowledge, and (pilot) monitoring before the upscaling of springshed projects can be successfully conducted.

CIMCA: Infusing Computational Intelligence in Multi-Criteria Analysis to Assess Groundwater Potential

Environmental Modelling & Software, 2023

Accurate location-based groundwater potential mapping for recharge is a vital tool to infer simpl... more Accurate location-based groundwater potential mapping for recharge is a vital tool to infer simple, efficient groundwater management in policy level planning. In this context, this study introduces a novel metaheuristic based multiobjective optimization model, namely, CIMCA for preparing groundwater accumulation maps in parallel to analyzing four different Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) techniques. In CIMCA, computational intelligence (CI) based optimization is infused within the traditional MCA techniques, which is carefully guided/influenced by the domain expert's input within the MCA part. The CIMCA model has been found to exploit the best of both worlds, i.e., optimization and domain expert's influence, thereby achieving unbiased and consistent outputs having great prospects for mapping potential groundwater resources for sustainable planning. Takeaways from these comparative assessments, impact information at district and sub-district levels, exposure detailing on total numbers of pumping wells, etc., will be useful in formulating current planning and devising future strategies under the umbrella of sustainable groundwater management.

Voluntary immobility despite hazard: a case of Jamuna floodplain in Bangladesh

GeoJournal

WASH and MHM experiences of disabled females living in Dhaka slums of Bangladesh

Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development

The rapid expansion of slums with increasing population density are the main barriers to scaling-... more The rapid expansion of slums with increasing population density are the main barriers to scaling-up sustainable Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities in the megalopolis of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The improper arrangement of ‘Cheap WASH’ (i.e., water access, sanitation access, and hygiene practices) and unmanaged disposal of non-biodegradable menstrual hygiene wastes, single-use medical, and plastic usage at slums are making the environment of city surroundings unfavourable and vulnerable posing a great threat to public health. Among the slum-dwellers, particularly, females with a disability are mostly the worst affected and vulnerable due to unfavourable conditions and lack of necessary support. Following the backdrops, this study purposively selected two Dhaka slums, with and without disabled-friendly facilities, to investigate female perspectives on different aspects related to WASH and menstrual hygiene management (MHM) for females with a disability. In total, 30 in-depth i...

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The Bengal Water Machine: Quantified freshwater capture in Bangladesh

Science

Global food security depends on the sustainability of irrigated agriculture. Rising groundwater w... more Global food security depends on the sustainability of irrigated agriculture. Rising groundwater withdrawals from seasonally humid, alluvial plains across tropical Asia have enabled dry-season rice cultivation. This groundwater pumpage increases available subsurface storage that under favorable conditions amplifies groundwater replenishment during the subsequent monsoon. We empirically quantified this nature-based solution to seasonal freshwater storage capture described as the “Bengal Water Machine,” revealing its potential and limitations. On the basis of a million piezometric observations from 465 monitoring wells, we show that the collective operation of ~16 million smallholder farmers in the Bengal Basin of Bangladesh from 1988 to 2018 has induced cumulative freshwater capture that volumetrically (75 to 90 cubic kilometers) is equivalent to twice the reservoir capacity of the Three Gorges Dam.

Study on Abstraction-Induced Recharge as an Adaptation Response to Climate Variation for Shallow Aquifer in Bangladesh

A participatory SWOT analysis on water, sanitation, and hygiene management of disabled females in Dhaka slums of Bangladesh

Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development

Rampant slum growths add more barriers to scaling up sustainable WASH facilities coupled with saf... more Rampant slum growths add more barriers to scaling up sustainable WASH facilities coupled with safe MHM amenities for megacities. On top of inequalities in accessing to WASH provision, MHM sensitivity to the needs of disabled girls or women is commonly denied. Low-income community case studies from the megalopolis of Dhaka, Bangladesh, capture multi-faceted links between disabled-female's agony and hygiene issues. Layers of discrimination are faced starting from no education after puberty to becoming a family burden. An overall assessment was further extended to identify SWOT for water and sanitation access to hygiene and MHM practices from the gender perspectives applying several mixed-method participatory approaches. Insufficient government support amount, inadequate pipeline water supplies, inconvenient infrastructures, and pricey hygiene products are considered as key weaknesses. Immediate demands include policies for empowerment via training, education coupled with caring se...

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