Road to Green Bangladesh Runs Through Environmental Protection

Is it possible to leave behind a Bangladesh that is “fit for its future generations?” The truth is sad. The situation is a multi-dimensional crisis in the environment of Bangladesh. The combined effect of air pollution, water pollution, plastic waste, e-waste, medical waste, deforestation, illegal cutting of hills and climate change are not only affecting our ecosystem but also causing economic losses, increased morbidity and premature deaths as well. “Environmental protection” is no longer a question of nature conservation but a real crisis of public health and national development.

The Impact of Toxic Air and Its Toll
Air pollution is currently one of the most serious environmental hazards for Bangladesh. In 2024, the country's average air quality level was found to be multiple times the safe limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO), according to international organization for air quality monitoring IQAir.

It is even worse in Dhaka. This polluted air is mainly caused by emissions of old vehicles, industrial pollution, construction dust, open waste burning and brick kiln smoke.

Pollution has devastating impacts on health. Polluted air is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, pneumonia and cancer. Studies show that the air pollution is reducing the average life expectancy of the people of Bangladesh by years. It has become much more than just a health problem �" it’s become a significant obstacle to national development.

This environmental degradation has cost the economy a fortune. Pollution-related diseases are pushing up costs of healthcare and losses in labour productivity, and taking a toll on national productivity. Safeguarding environmental health is thus a prerequisite for economic growth and ensuring human capital.

Choking Waters and Plastic Plagues 
Our water bodies are also in a bad condition. Economically, culturally and socially, rivers have been the lifeblood of the people of Bangladesh, but today, they are suffocating with the burden of industry and domestic pollution. The water quality of Buriganga, Turag, Balu and Shitalakshya rivers has been found to be high with the presence of heavy metals.

Industrial sewage is a chronic and serious pollutant in waterways and to health. In the meantime, arsenic pollution is a chronic public health problem in many areas of the country. The use of polluted water is causing a lot of health issues such as cancer, skin diseases and kidney failure.

The issue of plastic pollution has become another gigantic problem. Each year the overuse of polythene and single use plastic presents an overwhelming challenge for our environment. The plastic eventually ends up in our rivers and oceans where it fragments into micro plastics that enter the food chain, creating new and untapped dangers for human health. Additionally, the combination of open burning of plastic and the emission of toxic substances, such as dioxins and furans, into the atmosphere significantly increases the likelihood of the occurrence of cancer and other serious diseases.

The Rising Tide of Modern Waste
Bangladesh is facing an alarming rise in electronic waste (e-waste) generation with the widespread use of technology. With the improper disposal of mobile phones, computers, batteries and other electronic waste, toxic materials such as lead, mercury and cadmium are being released into the environment.

In the same way, the improper disposal of hospital and clinic medical waste is a great threat. Safely discarding infectious syringes, chemical waste and pharmaceutical residues are essential to prevent them from becoming breeding grounds for contagious diseases.

Environmental degradation and Climate Vulnerability
Deforestation and the destruction of hills are also a major problem in Bangladesh. The overall situation of forest cover in the country is deeply short of the ecological needs. Uncontrolled hill levelling in Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and Hill Tracts has caused frequent landslides and floods and severe biodiversity loss. Deforestation also reduces our carbon-sequestration capability, making our community more vulnerable to the effects of climate change at a local level.
However, the impacts of climate change are especially worrying for Bangladesh. Climate change is seriously impacting the country’s public health, food security and agriculture, due to the increase in sea level, salinity intrusion, high heat wave events, irregular rainfall, and long-term droughts. Here, extreme heat is increasing the number of heat stroke, dehydration and cardiovascular diseases cases, while droughts are impacting agricultural production and exacerbating water shortages.

This environmental degradation has cost the economy a fortune. Pollution-related diseases are pushing up costs of healthcare and losses in labour productivity, and taking a toll on national productivity. Safeguarding environmental health is thus a prerequisite for economic growth and ensuring human capital.

The Path Forward: Actions over Formalities
This is an all-too-clear situation and environmental protection should be accorded a high priority in the national agenda. Immediate implementation of effective waste management systems in industries, reduction of emissions from brick kilns, safe disposal of e-waste and medical waste, prohibition of open burning of waste, reducing the use of plastics and strengthening legislation on tobacco control. Public awareness needs to be mobilised on a huge scale, side by side.

Most important of all is to take aggressive plantation and afforestation drives. In the field of ecological balance, there's no better solution than planting trees. Trees remove carbon dioxide, provide oxygen, and filter out harmful air pollution and buffer against the effects of climate change.

The plantation should be done on a large scale in the city, village, schools, factories, and hilly regions. Especially, hill cutting must be curtailed and planned afforestation should be started in the vulnerable areas immediately.

When it comes to conservation, no matter how many trees, rivers and hills you save, you are also saving human lives. Our air, our water, and our land are the foundation of our future. The next generation will face an uninhabitable world if we fail to take care of ourselves today. Without paying due attention to the conservation of our environment, no way would it be possible to build a healthy, safe and prosperous Bangladesh.