Professor Dr. Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder :
Air is essential for the survival of all living creatures. The quality of the air we breathe greatly affects the quality of our lives; whereas we can survive for days without food or drink, but we cannot survive without air for more than a few minutes. However, air pollution has emerged as one of the greatest risks to human and environmental health, making access to clean air a global concern.
Pollution of the environment is often related with population increase. Population explosion is the primary cause of global environmental pollution problem that exists today. It is becoming impossible for the environment to meet the demands of billions of people by filling the gaps created by a growing population and diverse human activities that have exceeded the nature’s capacity. Our ecosystem, especially the biosphere, is negatively impacted by population increase excessively. Approximately half of the planet’s surface was covered in vegetation at the dawn of human civilization, but now only a very small fraction survives.
In the 20th century alone, 9 million hectares of forest area were cleared for development. An estimated 17 million hectares of forest are lost every year due to human activities. Deforestation exacerbates the greenhouse gas problem by reducing the ability of plants to collect CO2. Extinction and habitat loss are also highly linked to deforestation. Agriculture is to blame for roughly 80 per cent of world deforestation, as previously stated. Another 14 per cent is due to logging, 5 per cent to firewood gathering, and the rest is due to other factors. All of these deforestation pressures are linked to increasing human population.
All of these deforestation pressures are linked to increasing human population. We require more food, wood products, and firewood as the population grows. As the usage of fossil fuels has skyrocketed to maintain industrialized nations, human population increase and climate change have gone hand in hand. Higher people mean more demand for oil, coal, gas, and other underground energy sources that emit carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere when burned, trapping warm air inside like a greenhouse.
Many components emitted by human activity contaminate the environment by combining with it. The elements present in the environment are in balance, but the elements emitted by humans combine with the air and disrupt the equilibrium. Again, there are some elements that are not naturally present in the environment but have been introduced by humans. Industry plays a significant influence in the emission of several forms of air pollution among human activities. Industrialization, thermal power generation, carbon dioxide from cars, and other greenhouse gases are forcing global warming to keep pace with the development of the human population. The city’s air quality is degrading due to its growing population. Air pollution in the environment is a health issue.
The main causes of air pollution include unplanned industrial expansion, brick kilns around big cities like Dhaka, and the establishment of numerous factories in the metropolis. At the same time, construction work is causing a lot of dust and pollution in the city. Due to traffic delays, cars spend more time on the road and consume more fuel, all of which contribute to increased air pollution. The climate is becoming hotter as a result of air pollution, and people are using more air conditioning to cool down. As a result, air pollution is increasing and these all are growing due to overpopulation. Apart from that, a competition of extreme irresponsibility is taking place in the name of rubbish and waste management in several cities, including the capital. There is no place in and around Dhaka city without a waste heap. It always stinks horribly; the environment is severely contaminated. The fact that 90-95 percent of government and commercial hospitals and clinics in Bangladesh lack a strategy to prevent patient infection from air pollution is sad but real. As a result, hospitals and clinics have become one of the most polluting places on the planet.
Every year, more than 10,000 children die in the country as a result of air pollution. Human respiratory disorders are a major source of air pollution in Dhaka. Asthma, allergy issues, pneumonia, and respiratory infections are all increased by nitrogen, oxides, and sulphur dioxide. Bronchitis, high blood pressure, headaches, and lung cancer are all possible side effects. Sand particles induce pulmonary silicosis, which causes the lungs to become hard. When carbon monoxide is mixed with blood, the ability to deliver oxygen is reduced. Heart disease risk is increased. After all, many individuals die prematurely as a result of air pollution. According to experts, if one generation spends a long time in air pollution, the next generation would suffer greatly. Inhaling heavy metals and tiny particles raises the risk of neurological problems and cancer.
The air quality in Bangladeshi cities is not good, according to a study done by the Center for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS). The most polluted air has been found in areas with higher population density. If the population continues to grow at this rate, the environment’s resource will run out day by day, and pollution will continue to rise at an alarming rate. In order to prevent air pollution in city area, more trees must be planted. Large trees must be removed. Each year, an adult consumes 650 kg of oxygen.
For this amount of oxygen, 6/7 large trees are required. Trees can be planted along city streets, in parks, after trees have been cut down, on islands in the middle of the road, and in open spaces in front of houses. Finally, Overpopulation is responsible for everything. With the increase in population, the need for human beings is increasing and so is the modern equipment. So,It is impossible to improve the situation without control population.
(The writer is Dean, Faculty of Science and Chairman, Department of Environmental Science
Stamford University Bangladesh).
