Although localized problems of groundwater mining have occurred, in most areas in Bangladesh further expansion of groundwater use within the bounds of natural recharge is possible. If dry season water scarcity worsens, investments to divert wet season river flows for artificial recharge of aquifers may become feasible, and could also reduce wet season flooding. A large share of water to meet new demands must come by saving water from existing uses through comprehensive reform of water policy. Such reform will not be easy, because both long-standing practice and cultural and religious beliefs have treated water as a free good, and because entrenched interests benefit from existing arrangements. The precise nature of water policy reform will vary from country to country, depending on underlying conditions such as level of economic development and institutional capability, relative water scarcity, and level of agricultural intensification.
Additional research is required to design specific policies within any given country.
Reform must provide secure water rights vested in individual water users or groups of water users. In some countries and regions, these rights should be tradable, which further increases the incentives for efficient water use. Such a reform can empower water users, provide investment incentives, improve water use efficiency, reduce incentives to degrade the environment, and increase flexibility in resource allocation. User management of irrigation systems. In many developing countries, devolving irrigation infrastructure and management to water user associations will be beneficial.