The study reveals that annual loss of agricultural land in Bangladesh was 13,412 hectares during 1976-2000 and it reached 68,760 hectares in 2010. More than 30,000 hectares of such land went to urban settlement annually during 2000-2010.
During the same period, urban and industrial area also increased significantly with over 40,000 hectares of land going to urbanisation and industrialization.
Principal Investigator Nazmul Hasan of Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI) under the Agricultural Ministry conducted the study titled ‘Trends in availability of agricultural land in Bangladesh’.
The study was carried out with financial support from the National Food Policy Capacity Strengthening Programme (NFPCSP). The NFPCSP is being implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry of Food with financial support from the European Union and USAID.
The result of the study shows that area under agriculture was 9.76 million hectare in 1976, which decreased to 9.44 million hectare in 2000 and 8.75 million hectare in 2010.
Availability of agricultural land disappeared annually by 0.1 percent during 1976-2000 and 0.49 percent during 2000-2010. On the other hand, the rural settlements increased annually by 0.16 percent and 0.21 percent during 1976-2000 and 2000-2010 respectively.
Urban settlement and industrial area also increased by 0.01 and 0.03 percent during 1976-2000 and 2000-2010 respectively.
Forest lands have decreased by 0.08 percent during 1976-2000 and 0.07 percent during 2000-2010. Mangrove area increased during 1976-2000, because of mangrove plantation along the coast. But, it decreased during 2000-2010, as mangrove forest area was brought under shrimp and salt cultivation and also for ship breaking yard.
About the regional scenario of agricultural land, the study reveals that annual loss of agricultural land in Dhaka Division during 2000-2010 was 0.65 percent while forest land decreased to 3.17 percent during the same period. The rural settlements, urban and industrial area, and charland increased by 4.78 percent, 8.75 percent and 9.81 percent respectively during 2000-2010.
In Chittagong Division, agricultural land shrank by 1.32 percent and mangrove area decreased by 4.18 percent during 2000-2010. Rural settlements increased by 0.37 percent annually since 2000. The growth of urbanisation and industrialisation in terms of area was 5.72 percent during 2000-2012.
The study shows that loss of agricultural land in Rajshahi Division was 0.31 and 1.11 percent annually during 1976-2000 and 2000-2010 respectively. Rural settlements and urban and industrial area increased by 3.69 percent and 7.41 percent respectively during 2000-2010.
Loss of agricultural land occurred in Khulna Division during 1976-2000 and 2000-2010 at 0.03 and 0.66 percent annually. Rural settlements and urban and industrial area increased by 4.31 percent and 8.94 percent annually during 2000-2010. Almost all the areas under mangrove forest have been destroyed during 1976-2000.
Agricultural land decreased in Barisal Division by 0.12 percent and 0.08 percent annually during 1976-2000 and 2000-2010. Rural settlements increased by 2.47 percent during 1976-2000 while it decreased by 0.41 percent annually during 2000-2010.
In Sylhet Division, agricultural land decreased by 0.5 percent annually during 1976-2000, but it increased by 0.10 percent annually during 2000-2010 as the forest lands have been brought under agriculture, the study says.
