Editing Ganges Delta (section)

==Economy==
[[File:CowShed.JPG|thumb|Rice, cattle and fishing in rivers and ponds are important sources of food.]]
Approximately two-thirds of the Bangladesh people work in agriculture and grow crops on the fertile floodplains of the delta. The major crops that are grown in the Ganges Delta are [[jute]], tea, and rice.{{sfn|Bowden|2003|p=39|ps=: "Many of [Bangladesh's] people depend on the delta for their survival. Two-thirds of Bangladeshis work in agriculture and grow crops on the fertile delta floodplains. Jute fiber, used to make twine and sacking, is Bangladesh's main export crop. Tea, wheat, rice, beans, sugarcane, and fruits are grown."}} Fishing is also an important activity in the delta region, with fish being a major source of food for many of the people in the area.{{sfn|Bowden|2003|p=44|ps=: "Fishing has played a part in the lives of Bangladeshi people for a long time ... Fish is particularly important in Bangladesh, where it provides the main source of protein in the diet of many people ... Shrimp are farmed in large containers or cages that are submerged in the open water. They are mainly sold for export."}}

In the last decades of the 20th century, scientists helped the poor people of the delta to improve fish farming methods. By turning unused ponds into viable fish farms and improving methods of raising fish in existing ponds, many people can now earn a living raising and selling fish. Using new systems, fish production in existing ponds has increased 800%.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.futureharvest.org/earth/fish.shtml |title=Global Demand for Fish Rising—Fish Farming is the Fastest Growing Field of Agriculture |website=Future Harvest |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061005030820/http://www.futureharvest.org/earth/fish.shtml |archive-date=5 October 2006 |quote=In Bangladesh, scientists are turning unused ponds into viable fish farms and improving fish raising in the existing ones. The project has led to a new way for the rural poor to earn an income ... Using new systems developed through research, fish production in existing ponds has increased eightfold.}}</ref> Shrimp are farmed in containers or cages that are submerged in open water. Most are exported.{{sfn|Bowden|2003|p=44|ps=: "Fishing has played a part in the lives of Bangladeshi people for a long time ... Fish is particularly important in Bangladesh, where it provides the main source of protein in the diet of many people ... Shrimp are farmed in large containers or cages that are submerged in the open water. They are mainly sold for export."}}

[[Image:HasnabadFerryPier.JPG|thumb|right|A lot of bustle at a ferry pier]]
[[Image:Vidyasagar setu.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Vidyasagar Setu]] which spans the [[Hooghly River|Hoogli]] River in [[Kolkata]]]]

As there is a maze of many river branches, the area is difficult to pass. Most islands are only connected with the mainland by simple wooden ferryboats. Bridges are rare. Some islands are not yet connected to the electric grid, so island residents tend to use solar cells for a bit of electric supply.

===Arsenic pollution===
{{Further|Arsenic contamination of groundwater}}
Arsenic is a naturally occurring substance in the Ganga Delta that has detrimental effects on health and may enter the [[food chain]], especially in key crops such as rice.