Environmental Issues of Bangladesh

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Environmental Issues of Bangladesh

• Dr Mahfuzul Haque

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Points for Discussion

• Eco-Profile of Bangladesh
• Issues of Concern water quality air quality
  population growth poverty and malnutrition
  natural disaster threats to agriculture
  pressure on lands forest depletion fisheries
  industries etc.
• Debates over sustainable agriculture, hill
  agriculture, sustainable energy

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Eco-Profile of Bangladesh

• Bangladesh is a live delta
• 150 million people confined within 144,000 sq kms
• Around 230 rivers and tributaries cris-cross the
  country like a mesh
• 40 of land mass less than one meter (3.3 ft)
  above sea level
• 3 major rivers carry 2.4 billion tons of silt
  (1/5th global silt) annually
• 54 common rivers and 92 of catchment area of
  these rivers is outside Bangladesh territory
• Catchment Areas Bangladesh 08, India 62,
  China 18, Nepal08, Bhutan 04
• Water sharing issue is multilateral and not
  bilateral

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Eco-Profile of Bangladesh

• Haors and Baors in the North, North-East and
  West
• Barind in the West changes taking place . Ground
  water level falling due to massive irrigation
• Chittagong Hills Tracts in the South-East
• Flood plain 80, Hilly 12, uplifted terrace 8

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Issues of Concern

• Coastal areas in the south subject to salinity
  intrusion and natural disasters (580 km coast
  line St Martins to Satkhira)
• Natural disasters like flood, cyclone, tornado,
  tidal bore, draught and desertification are
  common features
• Bad floods 1987, 1988, 1998, 2004, 2007
• Conical shape in the Bay of Bengal attracts
  cyclonic storms causing enormous casualties

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Issues of Concern

• Unplanned Population Growth In a country of 150
  million people, 50 population is below 15 years
  of age. Unemployment, poverty, lack of basic
  facilities, rural-urban migration causing
  mushrooming of slums continue
• Poverty and Malnutrition About 48 people are
  living below poverty line, 20 under extreme
  poverty and 10 ultra-poor. People suffer from
  food crisis for 3-4 months in the Monga hit
  region in the North. Due to poor literacy and
  life expectancy, high infant and maternal
  mortality rate, the country is under stress

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Issues of Concern

• Natural Disaster The floods of 1987 and 1988
  were devastating. 1998 flood inundated two-thirds
  of Bangladesh for two months. 2004 and 2007
  floods continue to wreck havoc. Besides floods,
  cyclones, tornadoes, tidal bores, Sidr 2007, Aila
  2009 continue to visit us.
• Threats to Sustainable Agriculture Excessive use
  of agro-chemicals, insecticides and pesticides
  along with new hybrid crops continue to pose
  threat to our agriculture. Loss of top soil, soil
  erosion, salinity intrusion, water logging due to
  FCD/I are affecting our agriculture.

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Issues of Concern

• Water Quality and Availability Ground-water
  mining, arsenic contamination, pollution from
  agro-chemicals, industrial effluents and
  municipal wastes are all affecting our waters.
• Poor air quality Dhakas air relatively cleaner
  now due introduction of CNG. Brick kilns continue
  to pollute air in the vicinity. Government
  suggested to adopt environment friendly
  technologies, like hybrid Hoffman kilns, Jig jag
  kiln and vertical kilns with no success.

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Issues of Concern

• Depletion of Forests Felling of trees for
  timber, fuel and fodder reduced our reserved
  forests by 50 in last 20 years. Salinity
  intrusion and top-dying affected the Sundarbans.
  Rubber, acacia replacing the local indigenous
  trees.
• Pressure on Land Land-use change affecting
  agricultural lands coupled with landlessness due
  to river-bank erosion. Common Property Resources
  (CPR) over-exploited and getting reduced.

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Issues of Concern

• Threat to Fisheries Effluent discharge,
  excessive use of agro-chemicals, faulty shrimp
  fry collection, exotic variety, FCD/I structures
  and flooding are all threatening the fisheries
  sector.
• Energy Crisis Crisis for fuel and fodder forcing
  people to use bio-mass at an alarming rate. Large
  amount of coal remains untapped. Age-old
  generation forcing low yield of electricity. No
  growth expected soon.

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Issues of Concern

• Hazards of Industrialization Industries, real
  estate buildings continue to pollute our water
  bodies, soil and air. Wetlands are being
  converted for housing and industries at an
  alarming rate.
• Rapid Urbanization Unplanned urbanization
  putting its toll on the cities and towns. The
  capital has become unlivable due to population
  pressure (10 million), unabated rural-urban
  migration, mushrooming of slums, unplanned
  traffic, less roads in comparison to increasing
  cars, load shedding, water crisis and gas crisis.
  The capital may be abandoned if no improvement
  takes place.

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Debate over Sustainable Agriculture

• 1972 Food production was 10 ml MT with 3 ml MT
  shortage for a population of 75 ml
• 2008 Food production was 30 ml MT with
  negligible shortage (2-2.5 ml MT) for a
  population of 150 ml
• Amazingly 10 ml farmers make a silent revolution
  on a fixed geographical area over 32 years
• High Yield Variety (HYV)/ GM crops
• HYV versus Indigenous Variety
• Use of agro-chemicals versus Integrated Pest
  Management (IPM)

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Invasion of agro- chemicals

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Available of pheromone trap (IPM)
Picture Application of pheromone trap
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Food Production and Annual Import
Crops/Products Total Demand Annual Import
Rice 30 ml MT 2- 2.25 ml MT (7 of total demand)
Wheat 3.5 ml MT 1 ml MT
Palm Oil 1.15 ml MT 1.15 ml MT
Sugar 1 ml MT 0.85 ml MT
Ref Prothom Alo, January 2009
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Sustainable Agriculture

• Ground Water versus Surface Water irrigation
• In Barind, ground water level fell by 40 feet in
  last 25 years and apprehended to fall 25 feet in
  next 10 years due to excessive irrigation
• Barind faces creeping desertification, if
  measures like surface water use, rain water
  harvest, excavation of canals and proper sharing
  of cross-boundary water are not taken

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Debate over Sustainable Hill Agriculture

• CHT is 1/10th of Bangladesh in size
• High lands in the central part
• What agriculture is suitable for the hills
• Sedentary Cultivation versus Jhum Cultivation
• Use of agro-chemicals
• Sustainable Hill Agriculture

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Debate over Energy

• Sources of Energy?
• Non-Renewable Energy versus Renewable Energy
• Non-Renewable Coal, natural gas, petrol, diesel,
  biomass
• Renewable Bio-gas, hydro-power, solar, wind
  power, wave action
• Whether clean energy affordable? Which energy is
  suitable for the country?

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Further Readings

• M. Haque, Sustainable Management of
  Environment, Q I Chowdhury ed., Bangladesh
  State of Environment Report 1999, Forum of
  Environmental Journalists of Bangladesh.

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Probable Questions

• What are the environmental issues and concerns of
  Bangladesh?
• What are the adverse impacts of agro-chemicals on
  the environment? For a country like Bangladesh,
  should we go for HYV?
• What type of sustainable hill agriculture do you
  suggest?

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• THANK YOU