Dr. Md. Faruque Hossain :
Possibly the greatest danger threatening Bangladesh currently is the disastrous land of the foundation of life, the disastrous land of our environment. This catastrophe is not limited to Bangladesh, but, as we know, is worldwide problem bred by ignorance and greed. An important point to be kept in mind is that demographic tendencies, the protection of the environment and a lasting economic development are closely connected and policies must aim at creating balanced objectives among these fields.
Forestry plays a significant role in Bangladesh, contributing to the livelihood and subsistence needs of the predominantly rural population. It provides a source of energy, supplies forest products such as fuel-wood, fodder, timber, poles, thatching grass, medicinal herbs, construction materials and contributes to the conservation and improvement of the country’s environment. About 2.6 million ha or 18% of Bangladesh’s total land area of 14.8 million ha is categorized as forestland which includes state forestland (2.2 million ha) and private homestead forest (0.27 million ha). Roughly 80 % of the landmass is made up of fertile alluvial lowland called the Bangladesh Plain. They are quickly disappearing due to the savage urbanization. The protection of these fertile lands constitutes a first priority because their disappearance will lead to a natural catastrophe for the development of agriculture. Furthermore, the pollution due to solid wastes and pesticides requires a serious control over the quality and the quantity of the products used. In addition, the loss of species in Bangladesh is an almost irreversible process that inevitably will result in tremendous ecological havoc.
The term anthropogenic designates an effect or object resulting from human activity, which is commonly used in the context of pollution, biophysical environments and biodiversity but applies broadly to all major human impacts on the environment. However, as humans occupy every continent and changed the environment around us in countless ways. Many changes have been beneficial and many have been adverse, therefore, a clear scenario of human impact on the environment in regards of pollution is indeed as we noticed directly many of the effects widespread have had on environmental ecosystems.
Pollution is defined as the introduction by people into the environment of substances or energy liable to cause hazard to human health, harm to living resources and ecological systems, damage to structures, or interference with legitimate uses of the environment.
Pollution includes: mining, burying toxins, gases from factories, the leaded gas from cars, chemicals in agriculture, use of toxins in undetermined, unstudied fashions, sewage waste and factory wastewater, destruction and change of the soil in construction and quarry activities, including water – soil – and air. It is not only the opposite of cleanliness, but encompasses every destruction and havoc placed upon the environment. In essence, pollution has three parts: soil, air, and water.
Unfortunately, the policy followed by the Bangladeshi government since the 1971s always has been based on the extension of the field of industry and the encouragement of exports, without regard to environmental concerns. The city favored high-productivity or high-value-added concerns by adopting certain fiscal, customs and commercial measures. No reference has ever been made on the impact of industry on the surroundings or on the protection of the environment, although development in given sector affects the environment and other sectors in the either a positive or negative manner.
Toxic matters released by industries and the precipitation of matters in suspension in the air emanating from industry and from all combustion process in general are a primary source of air and water pollution. The production of electrical energy pollutes the atmosphere by the discharge of thermo-electric power plants. The sulfur content of fuel used in Bangladesh is extremely high and so are sulfur-di-oxide (SO2) emissions. Construction works, refineries, electric power plants and a multiplicity of generators and small combustion sources are the major pollutants of the atmosphere.
In addition, liquid and solid wastes discharged from industries have resulted in significant water pollution. Industrial firms on the coast discharge their waste waters into the river without any treatment. Inland industries discharge waste waters generally into the nearest stream and without treatment. Some industries evacuate their waste waters into deep bore-holes with the risk of contamination of underground waters and springs that sprout in downward spots. Furthermore, industrial solid wastes are generally deposited with municipal refuse without any particular measures taken.
Non-industrial solid wastes and waste waters are a primary factor in freshwater water, sea water and soil pollution. Wastes brought by waste-water conveyors are poured directly onto the river without any treatment. Wastes from marinas and pleasure boats, and wastes left about by vacationers and shore users further contribute to river pollution. In addition, waste waters are poured into the river and freshwater without any treatment.
Despite steady progress towards industrialization, agriculture remains the most important sector in Bangladesh. About 21% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country comes from agriculture sector. Besides, it has indirect contribution to the overall growth of GDP. Many sectors included in broad service sector such as wholesale and retail trade, hotel and restaurants, transport and communication are strongly supported by the agriculture sector. This sector also provides employment for around 50% of the total labor force and seems to have managed to feed more than 160 million people of the country. During the last decade, significant changes took place in agriculture sector which include, among others, new production structure, use of high yielding varieties supported by fertilizers, pesticides, mechanized cultivation, irrigation etc. All these changes have contributed much to the increased production of food grains. The development of agriculture sector is very much urgent for poverty reduction, environment, food security and sustainable development of our country. However, uncontrolled qualities and quantities of pesticides, insecticides, herbicides and fertilizers, and the bad utilization of animal fertilizers on agriculture lands result in water and soil pollution, air and consequently our environment.
Atmospheric pollution which constitutes for ordinary citizens the most evident aspect of the problem of the environment has been the least researched in Bangladesh. The air of the cities and areas of large human population is poor, and the quality of the air decreases with the increase of factories and with the formation of enveloping fog around the cities. In 1969, the BCSIR launched a scheme for the continuous observation of contents in the air of harmful matters (gas and dust). The war put an end to the project and since then atmospheric pollution problems continued to worsen.
Air pollution has not been the subject of any regulation with the exception of the prohibition of the importation and use of diesel vehicles and the required conditions for vehicle engines, which currently are not being applied. There exists no authority in Bangladesh which is directly responsible for the quality of the air and the protection of the atmosphere against pollution.
The major pollutants of the atmosphere are the construction works, refineries, electric power plants, a multiplicity of small combustion sources, and generators installed at numerous industrial premises and residences to compensate for power cuts. Production of electrical energy pollutes the atmosphere by the discharge of electric power plants. The sulfur content of fuel used in Bangladesh is high and so are SO2 emissions. However, fuel of low sulfur content costs 20 to 30% more than the type at present used. The treatment of pollutants is also costly and would represent substantial charges to the cost of energy.
With the exception of waters at high altitudes where there are no at present constructions above their levels, all Bangladeshi waters are exposed to pollution due to the lack of a system for the evacuation of solid and liquid residues and the lack of a control and water-protection system against pollution. The diseases transmitted by water and prevalent in Bangladesh are typhoid, hepatitis, and dysentery. The results of a large number of tests made at different periods for waters of different origins have proved the existence of bacteriological pollution.
It is well known in the country that diseases transmitted by water are widespread. In 1990, there were four known epidemics transmitted by polluted drinking water. A correlation was found between the number of cases relating to one of these diseases in a given month and the characteristics of the flow-rate of water streams, particularly during periods of vegetable-crop irrigation with polluted waters.
Industrial and non-industrial liquid and solid wastes are the primary contributors to water pollution. Industrial firms on the river discharge their waste waters into the sea without any treatment. Inland industries discharge waste waters generally into the nearest stream and without treatment. In addition, because of government and non-governmental awareness, some industries evacuate their waste waters into deep bore-holes with the risk of contamination of underground waters and springs that sprout in downward spots. Also, industrial solid wastes are generally evacuated with municipal refuse without any necessary particular measures taken.
Non-industrial solid and liquid wastes pose a permanent danger for public health and environment. Frequently, waste waters are directly evacuated in rivers or in the sea, without any preliminary treatment. Sometimes, these waste waters are used for irrigation. Ninety percent of the solid wastes are directly dumped into natural areas along the roads or are directly burnt without considering the consequent atmospheric pollution and the potential danger of the spread of fire.
In what relates to waste-water management, the current population is estimated at 150 million persons, taking into account non-Bangladeshi residents, temporary displacements and secondary residences. Relating to household refuse, the quantity of solid waste is of some 0.7 to 6 .9 kg/resident/day, that is a total of 160,000 tons/day approximately of solid wastes for the whole of Bangladesh. In particular, the projected urban population growth rate from 2010 – 2015 is 3%, with this population growth, there is an increasing problem of waste management particularly in the larger cities. Currently, according to an UNFPA report, Dhaka is one of the most polluted (15 million) cities in the world and one of the issues concerned are the management of municipal waste.
(Dr. Md. Faruque Hossain (Hossain MF) is currently Professor of American International University-Bangladesh. )
