SALINITY PROBLEMS AND CROP PRODUCTION IN COASTAL REGIONS OF BANGLADESH

Bangladesh is a deltaic country with total area of 147,570 km 2 . The major part (80%) of the country consists of alluvial sediments deposited by the rivers Ganges, Brahmaputra, Tista, Jamuna, Meghna and their tributaries. Terraces with an altitude of 20-30 m cover about 8% of the country, while hilly areas with an altitude of 10-1000 m occur in the southeastern and northeastern part. The coastal region covers almost 29,000 km 2 or about 20% of the country. Again, the coastal areas of Bangladesh cover more than 30% of the cultivable lands of the country. About 53% of the coastal areas are affected by salinity. Agricultural land use in these areas is very poor, which is much lower than…