Environment issue
Bangladesh has been largely preoccupied with managing moderate economic development, starting from a very low base, with an aim to provide basic necessities to the population. Poverty is still the main issue and will remain so for many years to come, given the moderately high population growth rate, limited land resources and periodic natural calamities such as flooding and cyclone damage. To put environmental concerns into perspective, the average life expectancy in Bangladesh is still only 51 years, and more than 70% of the adult population is illiterate. In rural areas, the environmental conditions have been impacted more by natural causes than by economic developments. Although the land is intensively cultivated, the land-use patterns have existed for many generations. In the urban areas, however, industrial and residential development has more serious environmental impacts in localized areas. The major concerns are poor solid waste management, effluent treatment and related health problems. Except in central Dhaka, air pollution is not a serious problem. The level of industrial development is still limited and comprises only 16% of GDP, compared to 26% in Pakistan and 42% in China, and the physical conditions tend to disperse and absorb the present low level of emissions. Though the environment may not be considered a priority concern in Bangladesh, some important environmental issues should already be considered to include deteriorating urban environmental conditions, threat of global warming and rising sea level, protection of sensitive environmental habitat. For the poor, living conditions in urban areas are worse than in rural areas, since housing, access to safe water, food supply and nutrition are at low levels. Urban waste dumps and effluent discharging into stagnant bodies of water already present serious health conditions for the urban poor. At present, and again with the exception of central Dhaka, Bangladesh is less concerned about acid rain and air pollution. Regarding C02- Bangladesh is very worried about the implications of climatic warming and rising sea levels.
The natural habitats support an abundance of aquatic and terrestrial species, including Bengal Tigers, crocodiles, turtles, monkeys and migratory birds but forests are currently being depleted at the rate of 10,000 ha annually.
Comments