[🇧🇩] Save the Rivers/Forests/Hills-----Save the Environment

[Saif]

Bangladesh to observe World Environment Day June 25

Bangladesh will observe World Environment Day on June 25 instead of June 5, as Eid-ul-Azha holiday has already begun in the country...

www.newagebd.net

Bangladesh to observe World Environment Day June 25
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha . Dhaka 05 June, 2025, 21:03

Representational image. | BSS photo

Bangladesh will observe World Environment Day on June 25 instead of June 5, as Eid-ul-Azha holiday has already begun in the country.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change chalked out different programmes to mark the day on June 25.

This year’s theme of the day is ‘Say no to plastic pollution - it is time to act’.

Chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus is expected to attend the main event as the chief guest at the Bangladesh-China Friendship International Conference Center in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital.

The chief adviser is also expected to inaugurate the National Tree Plantation Campaign and the month-long Tree Fair and Environment Fair by planting sapling on the occasion.

Besides, he will confer the National Environment Awards and the National Awards for Tree Plantation and Wildlife Conservation among recipients.

To raise public awareness against environment pollution, the theme and the slogan of the World Environment Day 2025 will be broadcast as scroll messages on Bangladesh Television as well as all private TV channels and electronic media.​

 

[Saif]

'Bangladesh has emerged as a key learning hub for regional climate resilience'

Says ICIMOD DDG Izabella Koziell marking World Environment Day

www.thedailystar.net

'Bangladesh has emerged as a key learning hub for regional climate resilience'
Says ICIMOD DDG Izabella Koziell marking World Environment Day

Izabella Koziell

Bangladesh has emerged as a key learning hub for regional climate resilience, said Izabella Koziell, deputy director general at regional organisation -- International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) -- headquartered in Nepal.

"Despite its high vulnerability to climate change, Bangladesh has established numerous good examples of community-led adaptation strategies that can serve as inspiration for those experiencing similar issues in the region," she said.

In an email interview marking the World Environment Day, Izabella Koziell shared with The Daily Star the challenges and potentials of Bangladesh in terms of mountain development, preserving the rivers and regional cooperation.

TDS: We, in Bangladesh, rarely hear the term "mountain development". Can you please explain it?

Koziell: Mountains are characterised by extreme terrain — and their remoteness and shifts in elevation have given rise to unique cultures and biodiversity. In a warming planet, with rapid demographic changes, these fragile environments and societies are under growing pressures — to conserve nature while supporting livelihoods and combatting poverty. We use the umbrella term "mountain development" for the innovation, testing, and scaling of the most appropriate methods and approaches to meet people's development aspirations and needs while protecting biodiversity and safeguarding investments in infrastructure, such as roads and hydropower.

TDS: Bangladesh has two hill regions – Chittagong Hill Tracts and Sylhet. What specific challenges do they face?

Koziell: The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and Sylhet are both vulnerable to climate change, although their issues are distinct due to their terrain and location. CHT is undergoing rapid change due to population pressures, agricultural expansion, and increased domestic tourism. Traditional cropping systems are being displaced by permanent agriculture, and unregulated tourism is endangering biodiversity-rich landscapes, rural villages, and fertile farmland. The unchecked development of hotels, businesses, and infrastructure poses a threat to lakes in CHT, forests landscape, and sensitive ecosystems. Springs and springheads an essential source of water for local communities, are also drying up. The region's unstable hillslopes are under increasing strain from environmental uncertainty, human activity, and climate change, unsustainable land use, and significant issues for populations that rely on these ecosystems.

Sylhet meanwhile faces increasing climate-related risks, including flash floods, waterlogging, and wetland degradation. Heavy rainfall and upstream river flow frequently submerge low-lying haor areas, damaging crops and fisheries. Unplanned urban growth and changing land use further strain its sensitive wetland ecosystems and rural livelihoods. The recent floods in Sylhet tell many stories about the impact of climate change.

TDS: Is ICIMOD doing anything in the CHT?

Koziell: We have undertaken a project — Green, Resilient, and Adaptive CHT Economy (GRACE) project that will use $10 million funding to help the most vulnerable hill communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) — and help it become more resilient to climate change. It will support the development of nature-based solutions and community-driven climate adaptation strategies following the direction of Bangladesh's National Adaptation Plan. The project aims to support establishment of more climate-resilient infrastructure, for example, improved retention ponds, restoration of springs and groundwater recharge systems in the water-scarce upazilas (sub-district units). Additionally, GRACE will improve the capacity of local governments, women, and youth to actively participate in climate-resilient development, disaster risk mitigation, and adaptation planning.

TDS: Bangladesh is a land of rivers but many of them are dying. What are your suggestions to prevent this trend?

Koziell: There must be urgent, stricter regulation, enforcement, and penalties for discharge and landfill. But what is also important is that steps are taken to maintain and sustain natural water flows upstream of Bangladesh – in the headwaters of Bangladesh's rivers. At higher altitudes, temperature rise is changing the pattern of snow and glacial melt that feed these rivers, it's also changing the intensity of rainfall, and groundwater recharge. These changes, as well as encroachment on river basins and other land use changes, are having a huge knock-on effect on downstream communities, with increasing risks from floods, land erosion, and salinity.

At ICIMOD we are promoting "integrated river basin management" (IRBM) approaches. We have also been calling for an urgent stepping up of scientific collaboration on rivers, and for the harnessing of local and Indigenous knowledge in water governance. We also strongly press for sustainable land use — which means curbing haphazard and unplanned development, as well as reducing deforestation, shifting cultivation, which will help reduce habitat loss and sedimentation of rivers. At a more macro level, no single country can tackle these alone. ICIMOD has, therefore, been facilitating processes that enhance regional collaboration among Hindu Kush Himalayan countries, as well as for presenting a unified voice in global forums.

TDS: How can ICIMOD help foster cooperation between nations as transboundary water management is critical for South Asia?

Koziell: ICIMOD, as a neutral convener, has engaged in significant efforts to foster transboundary water cooperation over its last 41 years by serving as a regional knowledge centre and as a science-policy bridge. Through our work on Resilient River Basins (RRB), ICIMOD promotes inclusive, climate-resilient approaches to water governance. By enabling structured collaboration and dialogue, the initiative helps countries shift from fragmented responses to shared strategies for addressing climate and water challenges in the Hindu Kush Himalayan transboundary basins. ICIMOD has helped facilitate the establishment of river basin networks that build trust and cooperation among riparian nations. ICIMOD also advances joint understanding through basin-scale assessments, vulnerability mapping, and integrated planning tools. By enabling data-driven decisions and fostering mutual learning, ICIMOD supports more cohesive and climate-resilient water governance across South Asia.

TDS: What role can Bangladesh play in regional climate resilience, particularly given its vulnerability and proactive adaptation strategies?

Koziell: As I said, Bangladesh has established numerous good examples of climate change adaptation. Early warning systems for floods and cyclones, together with a vast network of cyclone shelters, have saved countless lives and demonstrated that effective adaptation is feasible even with limited resources. Many nature-based solutions in Bangladesh are directly related to our National Adaptation Plan (NAP) intervention menu. Planting trees along key highways, such as the Dhaka-Chattogram Road, for example, helps mitigate climate impacts, protects infrastructure from intense heat, and increases biodiversity, while also improving air quality for Bangladesh and beyond.

The GRACE project's actions in mountainous regions, such as the CHT, will focus on restoring springs, safeguarding watersheds, promoting agroforestry, stabilising slopes, and introducing climate-resilient farming methods, all of which are based on Bangladesh's NAP adaptation guideline.

TDS: What would be your message to young Bangladeshi girls who aspire to be environmental leaders, scientists, or advocates?

Izabella Koziell: Women and girls there are often the hardest hit by the impacts of climate change. We need talented young women at the table. My message to aspiring Bangladeshi environmental leaders is – Remember that women everywhere are already "shaping a sustainable future" through conservation and innovation in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region. Pursue education and hands-on experience. Join networks (e.g. youth climate groups, science clubs, women's entrepreneur trainings) and learn from mentors. Every skill you gain multiplies your ability to protect the environment. By empowering women on the front lines, embracing gender-inclusive governance, and encouraging young female leaders, we create more just and effective environmental policies for all.​

 

[Saif]

Why change must start with people

On World Environment Day, the conversation around plastic pollution takes centre stage.

www.thedailystar.net

Why change must start with people

The global plastic treaty being negotiated, as reported in IISD’s Earth Negotiations Bulletin, is a welcome step. PHOTO: STAR

On World Environment Day, the conversation around plastic pollution takes centre stage—globally, in treaty rooms and international campaigns, and locally, as we stare at rivers choked by waste and fields littered with non-biodegradable remnants of daily survival. But too often, we isolate the plastic crisis from the human beings at its centre: the families, farmers, vendors, and millions for whom plastic is not a convenience but a necessity—a needed tool for carrying goods to work on a rainy day, building shelter to withstand torrential rains when there is no roof overhead, or simply storing belongings when even a tin trunk is unaffordable.

Plastic must be removed from our lives, for it kills—whether through choking rivers and oceans, or through the CO2 emitted in its production. But this can only happen when alternatives become reachable for the unrecognised faces who use it daily, not just for ease but for necessity. In a country like Bangladesh, where the vast majority live on the edge of survival, affordability and availability dictate choice. The conversation around alternatives must begin by asking: What will people use instead? And how will they afford it? If those answers remain unclear, expecting sudden behavioural shifts or blanket bans is not only unrealistic, it is unjust.

We need to find a solution that is both humane and environmentally responsible. We cannot presume to restrict plastic use only through regulation. We must provide alternatives and instil an understanding of the harm it causes, especially among those who rely on it most. People must feel connected to the cause, to understand that this is about protecting the rivers, the land, and the environment we all share. When the message speaks to the heart, not just through statistics or enforcement, it inspires collective responsibility. That is where real, lasting change begins.

Today, we speak of climate treaties and plastic bans. But unless the state becomes personal—unless the farmer understands why it matters to him, unless the mother in a char village sees what plastic waste might do to her child's future—we will not see real transformation. A policy that asks millions to give up a necessity must not descend like an order. It must rise from understanding, built through empathy and communicated in language that respects people's lives and acknowledges their realities.

The global plastic treaty being negotiated, as reported in IISD's Earth Negotiations Bulletin, is a welcome step. But it must not absolve us of our responsibilities at home. Plastic is already having an incredibly negative impact on the quality of our lives. Our rivers are clogged. Our waste systems are inadequate. While international consensus can help us gain legitimacy in our actions, we are already suffering daily from the lack of regulation and alternatives. We cannot wait for consensus to take shape. We need to act now—but act wisely—so that the millions who rely on plastic today are able to shift to alternatives, even if those alternatives are not yet as useful.

At the same time, we must resist imported narratives that do not fit our context. Western countries, with their histories of industrial growth, carbon emissions, and pollution, have created much of this crisis. But this is not about them feeling guilt. Guilt can be brushed aside—by individuals, by corporations. What we must appeal to is conscience. One person's conscience can lead hundreds to positive action. If there is to be a global commitment to healing, it should not be framed as reparations for the past, but as a response to the suffering of the present. Let conscience, not compensation, guide the way forward.

Back home, we must learn to see the nuances. Not all plastic is single-use or wasteful. In Bangladesh, we reuse everything. A plastic bottle may be used for months. Plastic furniture allows families to live with dignity. On a recent visit to a shop in Kachua, I was handed a plastic bag labelled "100 percent biodegradable." Bioplastics like those being developed by Sonali Bag may hold promise. But we must ensure that sustainability does not become another form of inequality, where the poor are penalised for using what they can afford, while the rich purchase expensive "eco" products.

Even a seemingly progressive decision, such as banning plastic and requiring only glass in offices, raises valid questions. The intention is noble. But how do small businesses comply? What happens to vendors who cannot afford the transition? Policy without inclusion becomes exclusion.

So, what should we do?

We must begin with awareness that respects, not lectures. Speak to people in their own language—not only linguistically, but through their lived experience. Show them that if the rivers are blocked, if the fish die, if the soil degrades, their own lives will be affected. And then, crucially, provide real alternatives. No one wants to harm the environment. But no one should be forced to choose between dignity and sustainability.

It is possible to mobilise people—especially the young—when they feel part of a collective mission. It is possible to educate without blame. To act without alienating. To build, not just ban.

Let us mark this World Environment Day not with more slogans, but with sincerity. Let us appeal not just to policies and politics, but to the hearts of people. Because only when environmental responsibility becomes personal, deeply human and emotionally understood, will we begin to see real change.

Let us make the state personal. Let us make conscience our most powerful policy.

Runa Khan is founder and executive director of Friendship.​

 

[Saif]

World Environment Day: A story of memory and nature

There are people who protect our little spaces so that they can be green again.

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World Environment Day: A story of memory and nature

File photo: STAR

I want to share a story about a little girl and a tree. A beautiful krishnachura tree, reaching the fourth floor balcony of a house and hiding it away from the urban sprawl, but not enough that moonlight couldn't peek through. A tree that was a friend to that little girl living on that balcony. In spring, the blooms would set ablaze in red in that little corner, and summers would be kinder to the girl as the shade of green would protect the space from the scorching sun. For years, that tree was a friend to her. The passing of the seasons and the changes in foliage were a part of her life, and they were friends—they both knew it.

And one day, just like that, the tree was gone. Cut down to make space for growth. More than a decade of kinship, torn apart in the span of a week.

It's the kind of loss that lingers with you. It's the kind of loss that is hard to explain to a child but must be understood by an adult. The numbness that comes up to cope with this loss is something that is reflected in all of us, wouldn't you say? Living in a concrete jungle that is Dhaka, I wonder: when did we stop caring for the small things that make life, life? When did we stop romanticising the rain? Was it when the entire city got flooded and the day was ruined on a monsoon day? When did we stop listening to the birds? Was it when they stopped coming to us, to an almost uninhabitable city? When did we stop caring for the soil we walk on? Was it when it started being covered in asphalt for so long that we forgot what lies beneath?

Amid all this, a story that sticks with me is a memory. A memory of Amena apa, whom I met in Noakhali a few years back. She invited my family for lunch, and I remember looking at her old glass jars of jams and jellies filled with seeds—some small, some big, but all sitting in airtight containers. She told me about how she stores seeds so that she does not forget how things are meant to taste. It was very normal for her community to store seeds. They would keep them as a contingency for when floods hit. Some would call this a resilience model, but to her it is just how things are.
"We look out for each other," she said. This is something I could never relate to. When I moved away from my maternal home, the houses I lived in, I never knew who my neighbours were. We sometimes met while getting out of our doors, in the garage, maybe sometimes walking on the road, but we never spoke. We never had that community feeling. It is also just how things are for most of us living in Dhaka.

Most things in Dhaka have little meaning to us. There are no parks to walk in, no water bodies to sit beside and forget our worries. No open space for children to learn about the birds that come in winter, no connection of the spirit to the earth. Our days are spent thinking about the next traffic jam, even thinking about how to survive the next day. Living in such fight-or-flight mode brings out apathy in us even more strongly.
Today is World Environment Day, a day that holds a reminder of all these thoughts. But it's also a day when I am reminded that, despite mass apathy towards the environment, there are still people who care.

There are people who protect our little spaces so that they can be green again, people who remember to be mindful enough to care. Their actions lie in quiet choices, in how we walk through the world, and with the world.

Those people remember the smell of wet earth after the first rain, how it makes them stop, just for a moment. They remember the silence that hung after a storm passed, when even the birds paused to breathe. They remember the thrill of picking a mango, sticky-handed, from a tree that had stood there longer than them. They let their memories be an anchor, and remind them of who they were, and who they still could be. They care, because they remember. They remember how the environment matters, and how we matter within it.
Now the question is, do you remember?

Raida A. K. Reza is doctoral researcher at United Nations University's Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES), Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER), and Technische Universität Dresden. She is the founder of Zero Waste Bangladesh (ZWBD).​

 

[Saif]

Why mass awareness matters for environmental protection

Mass awareness is crucial to protect environment as it is being polluted in various ways including single-use of plastic bottles. The environment is also being polluted due to liquid waste from factories, waste from kitchens and restaurants, smokes from vehicles and brick-kilns. Battery-run...

en.prothomalo.com

Why mass awareness matters for environmental protection

Rabiul Islam
Journalist at Prothom Alo
Updated: 05 Jun 2025, 21: 19

A worker sorts used plastic bottles at a recycling unit in Karachi on 12 September, 2024. AFP file photo

Mass awareness is crucial to protect environment as it is being polluted in various ways including single-use of plastic bottles.

The environment is also being polluted due to liquid waste from factories, waste from kitchens and restaurants, smokes from vehicles and brick-kilns. Battery-run rickshaws also cause environment pollution.

According to a study, plastic bottles remain in the environment for up to 450 years. These release microplastics and toxic chemicals into ecosystems and food chain.

However, there is no strong waste management system in place in the country. So the mass awareness can play a significant role to protect environment from pollution.

Environment and Social Development Organisation (ESDO), a non-profit action research organisation, in a recent study reveals that the country generates maximum 3.84 billion of single-use plastic bottles every year. Only 21.4 per cent can be recycled. The rest 78.6 per cent end up in rivers, sea and dumping stations.

As a result, plastic waste along with others causes health and environmental risks. Waste from kitchens and restaurants also clog drains resulting in water logging and environmental damage.

However, only 18.4 of urban consumers and 5.5 per cent of rural consumers are aware of the health risks caused by the plastic bottles, the study says.

On the flip side, only 3.4 per cent of waste collectors are aware of the environment pollution due to plastic bottles.

In view of the consequences of health and environmental hazards, awareness can play a key role in combatting the single-use plastic.
People in general across the country discard plastic bottles without understanding its environmental impact and ultimate health hazard.

While chatting with a senior journalist friend, he shared an experience of the awareness of German people about the environment in Germany. He said he tossed a bit of foil paper on the street from a cigarette packet as there was no bin nearby. Immediately a German woman picked it up and dropped it into a bin at distance. There is hardly any such awareness in our country.

Moreover, most of the households discard plastic bottles and polythene as solid waste. But this could be different if the plastic bottles and polythene were separated from the rest and then recycled.

In this context, the government and non-government organisations can play an important role in creating mass awareness. The government can launch massive campaign about the environmental and health hazard of plastic bottles. A social campaign engaging political parties, local communities and schools, colleges and university students can also be taken across the country to create awareness among the people.

Earlier, voluntary organisations and scouts would launch campaigns about the environment pollution. But those activities are not seen now-a-days. But those activities could be revived. Given the degradation of environment, the government should chalk out various programmes to create awareness about the environment pollution.

Various committees at the ward, union, upazila and zila level can be formed to implement the programmes. These committees can hold rallies and discussions on the health and environment hazards of the plastic bottles.Moreover, the government can make policies and formulate laws to reduce the production of plastic bottles on the one hand and fine those who discard these bottles here and there.

The political parties have also a responsibility to carry out mass campaigns to create awareness among the people. But it is noticed that the political parties hardly bother with these social activities. But it is urgent to save the environment to lead a healthy and peaceful life free from environment pollution. People have been suffering from various diseases like cancer, asthma and more due to environment pollution.

Alongside carrying out studies and research on the environment pollution, the government can immediately take some steps to fight environment pollution. Mass campaigns can be one of the steps that can help reduce environment pollution. It is expected that the government will in no time do something for the environment and the human beings.

*Rabiul Islam is a journalist at Prothom Alo.​

 

[Saif]

The silent plastic crisis in rural Bangladesh

Plastic pollution is not solely an urban issue.

www.thedailystar.net

The silent plastic crisis in rural Bangladesh

While cities like Dhaka and Chattogram often dominate discussions on plastic pollution, the rural and peri-urban areas of Bangladesh bear a silent but severe brunt. PHOTO: ANISUR RAHMAN

Sumon runs a small tea stall. Every morning, he wades through ankle-deep plastic waste—a growing pile of discarded bottles, wrappers, and bags that clog the drains around his shop. "When it rains, the market floods because the drains are blocked with plastic," he says. "Business drops, and so does our hope for a cleaner place."

While cities like Dhaka and Chattogram often dominate discussions on plastic pollution, the rural and peri-urban areas of Bangladesh bear a silent but severe brunt. In rural Bangladesh, plastic waste infiltrates rivers, irrigation channels, and croplands, disrupting daily life and livelihoods. Yet, this reality rarely garners attention.

It is believed that Bangladesh produces approximately 87,000 tonnes of single-use plastic waste each year, and nearly 22 percent of this originates from rural areas. There is a notable lack of awareness regarding the environmental and health risks associated with plastic waste in rural areas. For instance, only 5.5 percent of rural consumers are aware of the health risks posed by single-use plastics, compared to 18.4 percent in urban areas. These facts highlight that plastic pollution is not solely an urban issue.

Of the plastic waste generated in Bangladesh, only 36 percent is recycled, leaving the rest to accumulate in open dumps, water bodies, and agricultural lands, exacerbating waterlogging and soil degradation. In rural areas, plastic waste mixed with crop residues blocks irrigation channels, starving crops of vital water flow. Additionally, plastic debris gathers around sluice gates, worsening persistent waterlogging.

For local farmers and traders, these seemingly small disruptions add up, impacting both their income and the local ecosystem. The impacts are further compounded by the surge in single-use plastics. Despite a ban on plastic bags in 2002, single-use plastic consumption has increased by 200 percent over the last decade, with rural areas increasingly bearing the consequences.

The government's National 3R Strategy was a step towards tackling the plastic menace through reducing, reusing, and recycling waste. However, its implementation at the grassroots level remains largely on paper. Local government institutions, particularly union parishads and municipalities, are supposed to lead the charge in managing plastic waste. But resource constraints, limited technical capacity, and a lack of structured waste management plans hinder their effectiveness.

Despite these challenges, small-scale initiatives in Bangladesh are emerging as potential game changers. The informal sector collects around 1,000 tonnes of plastic waste daily, significantly contributing to recycling efforts. However, the lack of formal recognition and support limits their impact. We are seeing the private sector also stepping into this domain. In Dhaka, for instance, Standard Chartered Bank launched a plastic exchange programme, allowing community members to trade plastic waste for cash or essentials. Replicating this initiative in rural areas could motivate grassroots communities to engage in waste collection while creating local income opportunities.

Encouragingly, a number of development platforms are working with the private sector. They are collaborating to establish and institutionalise market-centric collection hubs for plastic waste, incentivising traders to segregate and deposit waste for recycling. Such initiatives show how grassroots engagement can foster a culture of environmental responsibility, even in areas with limited waste management infrastructure.

But to effectively tackle the long-standing plastic pollution situation in rural and peri-urban areas, a few good examples are not enough; we need collective efforts and mutually benefitting strategies. First, local governments need targeted support to incorporate plastic waste management into local development plans. Waste segregation at the source, coupled with community-based recycling hubs, can lay the groundwork for more structured waste management systems.

Second, engaging local entrepreneurs in waste recycling can transform plastic from a pollutant into a resource. With technical training and seed funding, they could establish small recycling units that create useful products like eco-bricks or compost bins. In Indonesia, fishing villages have turned to innovative solutions like eco-bricks—plastic bottles filled with non-biodegradable waste used as building materials to manage plastic waste effectively. These initiatives highlight the potential of local actions in combating plastic pollution.

Third, educational programmes in schools and community centres can instil sustainable habits from an early age, reinforcing the principles of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. In Cox's Bazar, school collection systems have already been set up to teach children about waste segregation and composting, showing how early intervention can cultivate lasting environmental responsibility. Covering two climate hotspots—Naogaon and Satkhira—the WaterAid–Swisscontact consortium has engaged school-level students in clean-up campaigns, waste segregation activities, and educational programmes to instil sustainable waste practices.

Lastly, public-private partnerships must be leveraged to provide the necessary infrastructure and incentives for waste management. One example is Practical Action's initiative in Faridpur, where a circular economy approach is employed to transform previously unprofitable waste into valuable commodities. In this initiative, low-grade plastics collected from the Padma River and local communities are processed using pyrolysis technology, converting them into high-grade oil and black carbon, thus creating employment opportunities and improving waste workers' livelihoods.

We must keep in mind that the fight against plastic pollution extends far beyond urban centres. The crowded markets of a remote union in the south and the irrigation fields of the north are not just bearing the brunt of plastic pollution; they are also fertile grounds for solutions. With the right support, rural communities can transform from passive victims to active change-makers, driving localised recycling initiatives, championing waste reduction, and adopting sustainable practices.

Saief Manzoor-Al-Islam and Sabbir Rahman Khan are development practitioners.​

 

[Saif]

Bamboo as an eco-friendly alternative to wood

Search for more environment-friendly and sustainable alternatives to many familiar practices is now the trend of the time. And as a country highly vulnerable to environmental hazards, it is an imperative that Bangladesh should opt for such alternatives for as many sectors of the economy as possible

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Bamboo as an eco-friendly alternative to wood

SYED FATTAHUL ALIM
Published :
Jun 16, 2025 23:54
Updated :
Jun 16, 2025 23:54

Search for more environment-friendly and sustainable alternatives to many familiar practices is now the trend of the time. And as a country highly vulnerable to environmental hazards, it is an imperative that Bangladesh should opt for such alternatives for as many sectors of the economy as possible. With the woodlands of the country diminishing fast, the country can no more afford the luxury of cutting down its timber trees primarily for construction or woodwork. This refers to both the trees being grown for the purpose of timber and the natural forests where there are standing trees suitable for harvesting as timber. In this connection, the Adviser for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, during her first office day after the Eid holidays stressed the use of bamboo to make furniture instead of wood. Though bamboo is not wood, but a kind of fast-growing hollow-stemmed plant, it is nevertheless used in ways similar to wood. It is definitely a green alternative to synthetic materials like plastic. And by popularising bamboo as a major ingredient of furniture, pressure on wood can be reduced. Bamboo, which is a member of the Poaceae, that is, grass family, grows in abundance in the country's tropical climate. Use of bamboo in the rural area is widespread as a building material for thatched houses, i.e. those with their roofs made from dried grass or straw. However, with the expatriate workers from rural families sending remittance from abroad, the dominant trend in the countryside now is to replace thatched houses with tin sheds on cement floors. Such houses are considered a symbol of status. So, one can see fewer main dwellings or primary residences with thatched roofs on bamboo walls in the rural areas nowadays. Of course, sitting rooms, maybe kitchens and cowsheds still have thatched roofs. Be that as it may, bamboo has a hundred and one other uses as handicrafts including bamboo mats (chatai), winnowing fans, flat baskets (dalas), fishing traps, sieve or strainers (chaluni), toys, musical instruments, to name but a few. It has also its industrial use as a raw material (bamboo pulp) for paper mills. Once there were entire rural communities in the past whose main occupation was making various household articles from bamboo. One would come across such bamboo-made articles at the village haats or fairs. The traditional arongs, or large Bengali New Year's day village fairs, are the special events when village communities like the nolos (people whose occupation is making various household items from nol, or reed) would sell their bamboo works. Notably, bamboo is also a kind of reed. Needless to say, the survival of such communities who crafted items from bamboo encompassing a wide range of applications from carpentry, furniture-making, weaving to construction was possible only because the countryside in the past had natural bamboo grooves in large numbers.

Unfortunately, with the ever-receding forestlands due to urbanisation, the natural bamboo bushes, too, are getting thinner by the day. In that case, replacing wood with bamboo for making furniture, as the Adviser for Environment has suggested, cannot be a feasible option depending wholly on the still existing natural bamboo groves. The government will have to invest generously in this sector, incentivise entrepreneurs to commercially grow bamboo bushes. Of course, that has to be done without seizing or harming croplands.​

 

[Saif]

undefined | The Financial Express

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Ministry plans to sell 2.8m jute bags at subsidised rates

REZAUL KARIM
Published :
Jun 17, 2025 00:30
Updated :
Jun 17, 2025 00:30

The Ministry of Textiles and Jute (MoTJ) has come up with a plan for selling 2.8 million pieces of jute bags at subsidised prices for the purpose of carrying commodities as alternative to poly-bags.

To this effect, the ministry has sought necessary steps from the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) for marketing such jute bags among the consumers of the capital city through the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB).

A project has already been undertaken under the MoTJ in this regard with a view to producing about 2.8 million pieces of such jut bags, official sources said.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting, held at the MoTJ on May 19 with its Adviser Sk. Bashir Uddin in the chair.

The main purpose of the initiative is to promote and encourage the use of environment-friendly jute bags as an alternative to polythene bags for the sake of protecting environment.

The project has been undertaken with the funding support of Bangladesh Climate Change Trust (BCCT), according to officials.

Under the project, about 2.8 million pieces of jute bags will be sold at subsidised prices in Dhaka Metropolitan City for the purpose of carrying commodities, according a document prepared by the MoTJ.

The Department of Jute (DJ) under the MoTJ is implementing the project, it was learnt.

But it is not possible for the department alone to complete the sales of such jute sacks due to the lack of its necessary manpower and experience to this effect, it mentioned.

As per the decision of the meeting, the commerce ministry is to issue necessary instruction to the TCB in this regard, a senior official of the DJ said.

When contacted, a commerce ministry official said: "We have received a letter from textiles and Jute ministry with regard to taking necessary steps for distributing such jute bags by the TCB."​

 

[Saif]

How climate change rewrites crimes along coast

IN THE at-risk southern region of Bangladesh, fierce winds and rising rivers cause more than just home and farmland damage. Climate change, poverty, and social disintegration are quietly increasing crime, a worrying trend that is often overlooked. Policy responses prioritise rescue, relief, and...

www.newagebd.net

How climate change rewrites crimes along coast
Abrar-Bin-Shoukat Alvi 18 June, 2025, 00:00

IN THE at-risk southern region of Bangladesh, fierce winds and rising rivers cause more than just home and farmland damage. Climate change, poverty, and social disintegration are quietly increasing crime, a worrying trend that is often overlooked. Policy responses prioritise rescue, relief, and infrastructure repair, but climate change-induced criminality is neglected. Satkhira officials saw an increase in thefts of livestock and emergency supplies after Cyclone Amphan in 2020. A 13-year-old girl disappeared from a cyclone shelter in Dacope, Khulna, during the 2021 monsoon season, sparking speculation about abduction and trafficking. Sarankhola Upazila residents in Bagerhat are increasingly turning to illegal activities like logging and poaching to survive land degradation. Lawlessness is rising alongside climate disasters. These issues are still ignored in disaster planning, turning this emerging crisis into a silent epidemic.

Criminological breakdown: theories behind the trend

CRIMINOLOGICAL insights are significant in this context. Academics have consistently contended that instability, scarcity, and inadequate institutional oversight exacerbate criminal activity. Shaw and McKay’s Social Disorganisation Theory illustrates the increase in crime when both formal and informal social controls are ineffective. In the congested cyclone shelters of Satkhira and Khulna, where privacy is limited and law enforcement is lacking, incidents of molestation and harassment targeting women and young girls have escalated.

Cohen and Felson’s Routine Activity Theory posits that crime is most probable when three conditions are satisfied: a motivated offender, a suitable target, and the absence of a capable guardian. All three are frequently encountered following a disaster. Dispersed, at-risk families are susceptible targets. In the absence of patrols or shelter oversight, particularly during nighttime, numerous individuals are susceptible to minor theft and abduction.

Merton’s Strain Theory elucidates how societal pressures and restricted access to legitimate opportunities may compel individuals to pursue criminal alternatives. Saltwater intrusion has devastated shrimp farms in southern Bangladesh, while storms have obliterated fishing nets. A significant number lack income. In this void, illegal logging, wildlife poaching, and trafficking emerge as means of survival.

Patterns in crime: data and local trends

FIELD research in disaster-prone areas shows that molestation is the most reported crime after a disaster, peaking in October during shelter overcrowding. Lack of supervision, drug abuse, and poverty contribute. Theft, especially of relief materials, livestock, and boats after floods, is another trend. Most disturbing is the rise in child trafficking. Khulna and Satkhira reports show a sharp rise in missing children after major climate events, many of whom are trafficked into cities or across borders.

After the disaster, crime mapping shows Maheswaripur in Khulna, Hazarkhali in Bagerhat, and Gabura in Satkhira as hotspots. Crime thrives in these areas due to resource scarcity, weak institutions, and climatic shocks.

Human stories and local insights

PERSONAL stories show this crisis. Fatema Begum of Dacope, Khulna, recalls the night her daughter disappeared in the 2021 floods. Our school was crowded after the flooding. Police and door locks were absent. She said, ‘My daughter just disappeared one night. Hundreds of families watch their children disappear into trafficking networks.

Local police recognise the gap. ‘During disasters, we’re spread thin,’ said a police officer in Satkhira. He added, ‘Rescue and logistics are our top priorities. Since staff and resources are scarce, crime prevention is neglected.’

Young people may be most at risk. Closing schools and losing jobs make many youth vulnerable to influence. Others commit petty theft or join organised smuggling networks along Bangladesh’s porous southern borders.

Economic trigger

THESE trends are driven by devastating economic losses. Research by RSIS International (2023) found that per-household damage averages BDT 12,368.82 for housing, 14,887.34 for crops, 14,345.21 for property, and an astonishing 35,916.66 for business. These numbers represent broken lives, abandoned livelihoods, and a community falling deeper into poverty with each storm.

Limited long-term rehabilitation worsens the situation. After a disaster, crime cycles thrive without stable employment, education, and mental health services. Desperation becomes deviant behaviour, and temporary coping mechanisms become permanent threats to social order as poverty grows and state support is patchy.

Policy gaps and urgent needs

BANGLADESH rarely prioritises crime prevention in its disaster response framework, despite the crisis. Shelters lack basic security. The ministry of disaster management and the ministry of home affairs lack coordination. No systematic data collection exists for climate change-related crimes, making targeted policies harder to implement.

Integrating criminological perspective into climate response

BANGLADESH must rethink disaster response criminologically to address the following complex issues: 1) Incorporate crime prevention into national disaster plans, such as mobile policing, surveillance, and gender-sensitive shelter supervision. 2) Enable local youth and NGOs to serve as community watchers during disaster recovery, addressing enforcement gaps. 3) Enhance border control to reduce trafficking, particularly in high-risk areas like Satkhira. 4) Promote livelihood restoration through vocational training, microcredit, and psychosocial counselling to reduce stress-related crimes. 5) Support academic research on climate-related crime trends for evidence-based policymaking.

Storm beyond the storm

SOCIAL erosion accelerates with the climate crisis. Environmental vulnerability and rising crime are a reality in southern Bangladesh. We must combine disaster resilience with criminological insight to protect our most vulnerable communities from the next storm of violence, theft, and lost innocence. The next cyclone may destroy more than homes. Broken laws, broken lives, and a new crisis cycle may result. Policy action must be taken immediately.

Abrar-Bin-Shoukat Alvi is a law student at the Bangladesh University of Professionals.​

 

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No development project should harm nature: Chief Adviser

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday called for safeguarding natural ecosystems during the execution of development projects. During a meeting at the State Guest House Jamuna in Dhaka, he instructed the officials concerned to ensure that water bodies remain “unharmed and unint

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No development project should harm nature: Chief Adviser

FE Online Desk
Published :
Jun 18, 2025 21:54
Updated :
Jun 18, 2025 22:54

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday called for safeguarding natural ecosystems during the execution of development projects.

During a meeting at the State Guest House Jamuna in Dhaka, he instructed the officials concerned to ensure that water bodies remain “unharmed and uninterrupted” throughout implementation of the ‘Teknaf to Tetulia Integrated Economic Corridor Development’ project, prepared by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The meeting featured presentations by ADB Country Director for Bangladesh, Hoe Yun Jeong, and officials from the Economic Relations Division (ERD), who detailed the vision, strategy, and implementation process of the corridor project, reports BSS.

The initiative aims to facilitate inclusive and sustainable economic transformation through an integrated approach to infrastructure, industrial growth, logistics, and regional connectivity along Bangladesh’s southeast-to-northwest transport network.

Key attendees included Road Transport and Bridges Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, Chief Adviser’s Special Envoy on International Affairs Lutfey Siddiqi, Principal Coordinator for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Affairs Lamiya Morshed and Principal Secretary Siraj Uddin Mia.

Chief Adviser Prof Yunus underscored three critical focal points for the project: preservation of water bodies, consideration of population distribution, and enhancement of international connectivity.

“We must remember that Bangladesh is a delta. We don’t want to interrupt our water flow. Our first priority is our rivers. We would go all the way in a different direction if it’s necessary,” he stated.

“We must keep in mind the location of our population when it comes to any construction. Ours is a flood-prone country. So, we need to work in a way that ensures the river doesn’t get clogged,” the Chief Adviser said.

“We must avoid building roads in locations that would worsen the flood situation. During floods, people try to find safety on roads, bridges, and railways. So, it’s not just a bridge; it’s people’s safety as well,” he added.

“And the third thing is international connectivity. We want to create an investment hub here. So, make sure that roads don’t stop here. We also want to connect neighboring countries, including Nepal and Bhutan. Because that’s the future,” Prof Yunus said.

He further stated, “We are the children of nature. We don’t want to destroy it. We want to live in it.”

To ensure environmental considerations are integral to the project, the Chief Adviser directed the team to include water experts and develop a comprehensive master plan.

Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan highlighted the importance of environmentally conscious development.

“We need to build our projects without harming nature. We’ve seen the negative consequences, like the massive road in the haor region that ultimately devastated the local ecosystem and led to severe flooding for residents,” he said.

The ‘Teknaf to Tetulia Integrated Economic Corridor Development’ project represents a significant step towards sustainable infrastructure development in Bangladesh, balancing economic growth with ecological preservation.​

 

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Hilsa threatened by microplastics

The hilsa is a gourmet's delight for its unique taste, distinctive flavour and high nutritional value. It is not just a great delicacy but a symbol of national pride, feted as the national fish. Bangladesh takes pride as the world's largest hilsa-producing country, with this aquatic treasure largel

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Hilsa threatened by microplastics

Atiqul Kabir Tuhin
Published :
Jun 19, 2025 00:01
Updated :
Jun 19, 2025 00:01

The hilsa is a gourmet's delight for its unique taste, distinctive flavour and high nutritional value. It is not just a great delicacy but a symbol of national pride, feted as the national fish. Bangladesh takes pride as the world's largest hilsa-producing country, with this aquatic treasure largely being exclusive to the region's rivers and coastal waters. But how would you feel if this most sought-after and beloved fish species falls victim to pollution? Deeply shocked and dismayed? Well, that's precisely what has happened. Researchers from the University of Dhaka and Shahjalal University of Science and Technology found microplastic particles in hilsa caught at river mouths in Bangladesh. Moreover, they also detected harmful heavy metals like cadmium, lead, mercury, and arsenic in the fish. This poses not only a serious existential threat to the hilsa population but also a grave risk to human health and national food security.

Led by Professor Gawsia Wahidunnessa Chowdhury of Dhaka University, the study found plastic particles smaller than 5 millimetres - known as microplastics - lodged in the intestines, liver, and even muscle tissues of the fish. These particles originate from common plastic waste such as bags, bottles, synthetic clothing fibres, tyre residue, and even cosmetics. Once they enter rivers and oceans, fish ingest them either directly or through the food chain.

Contamination of hilsa lends credence to the United Nation's warning that without urgent action microplastics will infiltrate every ecosystem on Earth, including the human body. Currently, the world produces approximately 350 million tonnes of plastic waste each year, and an estimated 12 million tonnes of this plastic ends up in the ocean. And the UN warns that without immediate action, the amount of plastic entering the ocean annually could reach 37 million metric tonnes by 2040. So, apart from climate change, plastic pollution is considered the worst form of environmental threat globally. Considering the gravity of the problem, this year the World Environment Day was observed with the theme of "Ending Plastic Pollution."

In Bangladesh, plastic pollution is growing fast driven by factors such as population growth, urbanisation, and changes in consumer behaviour. According to World Bank study in 2021, Bangladesh's annual per capita plastic consumption in urban areas has tripled from 3.0 kg in 2005 to 9.0 kg in 2020. The rising use of plastic contributes to increased plastic waste, including single-use plastics (SUPs), which easily break down into microplastics and are often dumped into drains, canals, and rivers. This not only blocks drainage systems and causes flooding or waterlogging, but also poses a significant risk to aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity.

To tackle the growing plastic pollution, polythene and polypropylene bags were banned over two decades ago. However, the ban was never strictly enforced. Stakeholders have often cited the lack of alternatives, public unawareness, black-market activity, and weak regulatory enforcement as key reasons for the failure to ban single-use plastic. The interim government has made a renewed attempt to impose a ban on polythene bags in supermarkets from October 1, 2024, and set a phased target to eliminate other single-use plastics. While the government's initiative is commendable, enforcement remains a critical challenge. Laws alone cannot solve the problem. What is urgently needed is the large-scale production and marketing of alternative jute and paper bags, along with efforts to bring about behavioural change among the public.

In this regard, BRAC University's ambitious initiative to eliminate single-use plastic is not only worth-mentioning but highly commendable. The university aims to transform itself into a zero-waste, plastic-free campus through enhanced recycling programmes, the elimination of single-use plastics, and the promotion of sustainable alternatives. This proactive step by an educational institution serves as a powerful example. Other universities, as well as various public and private institutions, would do well to follow suit. They can promote a plastic-free work environment by banning single-use plastics and replacing them with sustainable alternatives such as glass, metal, or paper products. Chief Adviser's office has already adopted such practice, setting a positive example for others to follow.

However, the solution does not solely rest on individual or institutional goodwill. The government should effect a paradigm shift in its approach to waste management, recycling infrastructure, and the production of sustainable alternatives. Institutional capacity in these areas will significantly influence the broader economy, investor confidence, and consumer habits.

At present, only a small fraction of plastic waste is properly disposed of or recycled owing to inadequate collection systems, poor waste segregation, and insufficient recycling facilities. Experts are of the view that segregation at the source must be made mandatory, particularly in rapidly growing urban centres like Dhaka and Chattogram. Smart recycling hubs with integrated systems for collection, sorting, and reuse should be developed. Here, government policy, private innovation, and civic participation must go hand in hand.

Then, the financial institutions have a critical role to play to help accelerate the transition towards environmental sustainability. According to Bangladesh Bank, banks and financial institutions disbursed approximately Tk 1.17 trillion in sustainable financing during the April-June quarter of 2024, which is significantly more than what was disbursed in the previous quarter. If such financing is strategically channelled into eco-friendly, technology-driven, and plastic-alternative ventures, it could yield enormous social and environmental benefits. Here it is noteworthy that Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) provides easy access to finance for small entrepreneurs engaged in producing biodegradable products. Bangladesh could implement similar incentives through the SME Foundation and SME units of commercial banks.

In a word, individuals, families, communities, businesses, and governments all have a role to play in the fight against pollution. Failure to act will allow it to continue choking our rivers, endangering marine life, and threatening public health, where even the treasured national symbols, like the hilsa, become a casualty.

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WASH budget cut deepens inequality, threatens safe water access: Experts

Experts have warned that the declining budget allocation for Bangladesh's Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector could severely undermine efforts to guarantee citizens' constitutional rights to safe water and sanitation. The concern was raised during the launch of a joint policy brief by the

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WASH budget cut deepens inequality, threatens safe water access: Experts
Budget fell from Tk 182.28b in FY 23 to a proposed Tk 109.01b for FY 26

FE REPORT
Published :
Jun 18, 2025 09:02
Updated :
Jun 18, 2025 09:02

Experts have warned that the declining budget allocation for Bangladesh's Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector could severely undermine efforts to guarantee citizens' constitutional rights to safe water and sanitation.

The concern was raised during the launch of a joint policy brief by the Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) and WaterAid Bangladesh at a press conference held at the PPRC office in the capital's Dhanmondi area on Tuesday.

The policy brief highlighted a sharp fall in WASH allocations, dropping from a peak of Tk 182.28 billion in FY2022-23 to a proposed Tk 109.01 billion for FY2025-26.

Although the figure reflects a slight increase from the revised budget of Tk 91.41 billion in FY2024-25, experts say it remains insufficient given the country's mounting WASH challenges.

"The downward trend in allocation undermines the state's commitment to guaranteeing access to water and sanitation," said Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, executive chairman of PPRC.

"Water and sanitation are not merely technical concerns; they are fundamental human rights, essential for health, dignity, and climate resilience."

Disparities in the proposed allocation also drew criticism.

Dhaka WASA alone is slated to receive over Tk 31.4 billion, while the Department of Public Health Engineering, tasked with ensuring national WASH coverage - especially in rural and underserved areas - faces a reduction in funds.

Only seven out of 12 city corporations received allocations in the proposed budget, leaving out major cities such as Rajshahi, Rangpur, Cumilla, and Sylhet.

Within urban areas, Dhaka North and Gazipur continue to receive disproportionately high shares, exacerbating intra-urban inequalities.

Partha Hefaz Shaikh, director of Programme and Policy Advocacy at WaterAid Bangladesh, said, "Despite commendable progress in eliminating open defecation, the WASH sector still faces inefficiencies in water quality, sanitation infrastructure, and the added burden of climate change."

While the budget includes promising signs for areas like Fecal Sludge Management (FSM) and climate adaptation, allocations for essential services such as water supply and sanitation infrastructure have declined.

Rural and hard-to-reach regions, including the chars, remain largely excluded from meaningful investment, the brief noted.

Representatives from various partner NGOs also attended the event and called for a more inclusive and equitable distribution of resources that reflects the scale of needs across both urban and rural Bangladesh.​

 

[Saif]

An accurate forecast of global warming made 112 years ago

The buildup of carbon dioxide and other GHGs in the atmosphere has elevated global temperatures to perilously high levels.

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An accurate forecast of global warming made 112 years ago

The effect of carbon dioxide, the major greenhouse gas (GHG), is no longer “considerable.” It is out of control; it has thrown us into a feedback loop from which there is no exit. FILE PHOTO: Reuters

An August 14, 1912 article in the New Zealand newspaper The Rodney & Otamaeta Times contained a story about how burning coal might cause global warming by adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. The story reads, "The furnaces of the world are now burning about 2,000,000,000 tons of coal a year. When this is burned, uniting with oxygen, it adds about 7,000,000,000 tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere yearly. This tends to make the air a more effective blanket for the Earth and to raise its temperature. The effect may be considerable in a few centuries."

The effect of carbon dioxide, the major greenhouse gas (GHG), is no longer "considerable." It is out of control; it has thrown us into a feedback loop from which there is no exit. So we won't have to wait a "few centuries" for the Earth to become a furnace. Indeed, the prediction made more than 112 years ago essentially validates the seemingly bleak future that we are staring at with trepidation.

The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which serves as the most dependable measure of the global community's advancement towards a secure future, experienced the most significant annual rise from 421.1 ppm in 2023 to 424.6 ppm in 2024. The record increase in 2024 was fuelled by a variety of factors, including record-high GHG emissions, diminished carbon absorption by natural sinks like tropical forests, and the release of vast quantities of carbon dioxide due to wildfires.

The annual rate of increase over the past 60 years is nearly 100 times more rapid than previous natural increases that happened at the end of the last Ice Age, around 11,000 to 17,000 years ago. The concentration now exceeds 50 percent of the levels recorded before the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, meaning the amount of carbon dioxide is now 150 percent of its value in 1750. For the first time, the global average concentration of carbon dioxide surpassed 430 ppm in May this year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The last time the planet had such high levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was probably more than 30 million years ago, well before humans inhabited the Earth and during an era characterised by a significantly different climate.

The buildup of carbon dioxide and other GHGs—methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases—in the atmosphere has already elevated global temperatures to perilously high levels. The current global mean is around 15 degrees Celsius, encompassing the range from the coldest poles to the hottest deserts. The most relevant reference for the current warming trend is the more recent Pliocene Epoch, which spanned from 5.3 million to 2.6 million years ago. During the mid-Pliocene, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels were comparable to those of today, resulting in heat retention and an increase in global temperatures, about two to three degrees warmer than today.

In 2024, temperatures exceeded those of 2023, making it the hottest year on record. The ten warmest years on record since 1850 have all occurred in the last ten years. Thus, extreme weather events, elevated sea levels, intensified droughts, out-of-control wildfires, deadly storms, and devastating floods, along with detrimental effects on wildlife and critical natural ecosystems, reached unprecedented levels, highlighting the escalating risks of climate change. Besides, warmer temperatures are allowing invasive species and pests to spread, while putting pressure on animals that need a colder climate. Also, the ocean has absorbed enough carbon dioxide to reduce its pH by 0.1 units, resulting in a 30 percent rise in acidity.

An increasing number of climate scientists now believe that achieving the 1.5-degree-Celcius target by the end of this century, as specified in the 2015 Paris Agreement, is unattainable because of escalating carbon dioxide emissions. To provide a context, the temperature has already increased by at least 1.1 degrees Celsius since 1880.

The World Meteorological Organization predicts that the global mean surface temperature for each year from 2025 to 2029 will range from 1.2 to 1.9 degrees above the pre-industrial average. Researchers at the Irish Climate Analysis and Research Unit expect the probability of passing 1.5 degrees on a sustained basis by the late 2020s or early 2030s to reach 100 percent in the next two to three years.

A recent study published in Earth's Future, a transdisciplinary open-access journal, warns that a major effect of a projected rise of 1.5 degrees in global temperature, even temporarily, will be an irreversible shift in global rainfall patterns, potentially affecting nearly two billion people across equatorial regions. Some areas may become deluged while others, particularly Southeast Asia, Northeast Brazil, and parts of Africa, could see dramatic declines in rainfall. As a consequence, people who live in areas that rely on seasonal rainfall for hydroelectric power, drinking water, and farming will be at systemic danger. Delicate ecosystems that depend on regular seasonal moisture cycles, such as savannas and rainforests, are also at risk from the changes.

Ocean and atmospheric systems respond slowly, even in the event of a drop in global temperatures, opening the door to permanent changes. Agriculture, freshwater resources, and food security are increasingly at risk as rainfall becomes unpredictable and uneven across regions. This is a cascade situation that will impact the global food chain, public health, migration, and the energy supply. These systems are unlikely to recover once they are disturbed.

It is now a truism that global warming begets more warming. Hence, the effects of climate change will worsen with every fraction of a degree of warming. In fact, the rapid progression of climate change is driving our planet towards the edge of becoming uninhabitable. As a result, the challenges presented are varied, formidable, and interrelated, ranging from extreme heat to rising sea levels and increased storm surges along the coastal regions. Yet, instead of confronting the challenges posed by climate change, the majority of national governments, international organisations, private sector entities, and non-profit organisations are choosing to ignore the situation.

So, what does our future look like? If we want to keep our planet inhabitable, the most straightforward approach is to significantly reduce GHG emissions immediately, thereby averting the Earth's transition into a new climatic state that would have catastrophic effects on humanity. Otherwise, we will soon have a true glimpse of our overheated future―a world in which no one would want to live.

Dr Quamrul Haider is professor emeritus at Fordham University in New York, US.​

 

[Saif]

Rizwana calls for constant efforts for normal flow of Dhaka canals

Water resources and environment, forests and climate change adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan has called for continuing the ongoing efforts to ensure the normal flow of water in Ramchandrapur and other canals surrounding the capital city and increase public awareness on this issue.

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Rizwana calls for constant efforts for normal flow of Dhaka canals
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha . Dhaka 22 June, 2025, 01:16

Water resources and environment, forests and climate change adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan inspects the cleaning drive conducted to restore the normal flow of the Ramchandrapur canal at Adabar in Dhaka on Saturday. | Press release photo

Water resources and environment, forests and climate change adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan has called for continuing the ongoing efforts to ensure the normal flow of water in Ramchandrapur and other canals surrounding the capital city and increase public awareness on this issue.

She said this after inspecting the cleaning drive conducted to restore the normal flow of the Ramchandrapur canal at Adabar in Dhaka on Saturday.

On the concluding day of the two-day cleaning drive, Rizwana Hasan and DNCC administrator Mohammad Ejaz inspected the cleaning drive and encouraged the volunteers.

Mohammad Ejaz said that cleanliness was not just an activity but a civic responsibility. ‘Common people, voluntary organisations and government institutions must work together to protect the canals.’

Ejaz said that all the canals of the city, including the Ramchandrapur canal, were linked to existence of the people.

‘DNCC activities are not only limited to cleaning the canals but also building a sustainable management through curving pollution, beautification and involving the citizens with the activities,’ he said.

The Ramchandrapur Canal cleaning campaign is being implemented by the voluntary organisation Footstep. More than 300 volunteers and DNCC cleaning workers participated in the campaign, which was conducted under the supervision of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Dhaka North City Corporation and in collaboration with IDLC Finance.​

 

[Saif]

Can Bangladesh’s urban drainage survive climate change?

Beneath the rising waters lies a tangle of institutional dysfunction and impunity that sabotages effective action.

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Can Bangladesh’s urban drainage survive climate change?

The drainage blueprints still in use were designed decades ago for a different climate and a far smaller population. FILE PHOTO: FIROZ AHMED

The sky rips open, and within an hour, Dhanmondi is knee-deep—not just in puddles, but in a murky, swirling current that transforms familiar streets into treacherous rivers. The roar of car engines gives way to the slosh of water, and the vibrant life of Dhaka grinds to a halt. Just a few hours of rain, and our cities become aquatic ghost towns. Students, their hopes for exams drowned by the rising tide, stare despondently from waterlogged apartments. Rickshaw-pullers, their livelihoods quite literally afloat, huddle under makeshift shelters. Small businesses—the lifeblood of our communities—watch helplessly as their inventory succumbs to the invasive floodwaters. What happens when the monsoon truly peaks? More critically, what is the actual, agonising state of our drainage systems?

This recurring nightmare is no accident—it is the by-product of Bangladesh's rapid, unplanned urbanisation, where drainage infrastructure has failed to keep pace with city expansion. In Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet, and Barishal, even moderate rain now triggers widespread waterlogging. The roots of this crisis are threefold. First, rampant encroachment on canals, floodplains and wetlands—nature's own drainage systems—has throttled water flow, turning once-broad channels into clogged trickles. Second, the drainage blueprints still in use were designed decades ago for a different climate and a far smaller population. Today's intense rainfall and relentless concrete sprawl quickly overwhelm systems built for 25–30 mm per hour, while actual downpours often double that. Third, overlapping mandates among key agencies—WASA, city corporations and RAJUK—have created a maze of fragmented responsibilities. No one is fully accountable, and coordination is virtually absent. This toxic mix of encroachment, outdated design, and bureaucratic disarray turns every rainstorm into a disaster, drowning infrastructure and livelihoods alike.

The relentless urban flooding we witness today is not merely a consequence of poor planning—it is the unmistakable, undeniable face of climate change manifesting as urban chaos. Beyond the widely discussed threats of rising sea levels and coastal erosion, Bangladesh is now grappling with erratic rainfall patterns, sudden cloudbursts, and increasingly extreme weather events that overwhelm city infrastructure within minutes. Our metropolises, already strained by haphazard growth, are now confronting a new, intensified hydrological reality. Yet, despite Bangladesh consistently ranking among the most climate-vulnerable nations on the Global Climate Risk Index, national adaptation discourse remains disproportionately focused on rural resilience and coastal defences. Urban centres—dense with population and economic assets—remain dangerously under-prioritised. This blind spot in planning and policy is no longer just an oversight; it is a critical vulnerability that leaves millions exposed to cascading climate risks. Recognising the urban flood crisis as part of the climate emergency is not optional—it is long overdue.

If climate change is the accelerant, then poor governance is the kindling. Beneath the rising waters lies a tangle of institutional dysfunction and impunity that sabotages effective action. When Dhaka North goes underwater, blame ricochets from WASA to the City Corporation to RAJUK—yet no agency is held accountable. This bureaucratic merry-go-round ensures that drainage failures are met not with reform, but with finger-pointing. Despite ballooning budgets for drain cleaning and flood prevention, there is little transparency about where the money goes—and even less public trust in how it is spent. Meanwhile, unregulated construction continues to encroach on canals, wetlands and stormwater routes with near-total impunity. Developers routinely fill up vital water bodies, and legal enforcement is either toothless or non-existent. This systematic erasure of natural drainage not only worsens flooding—it cements it as a feature, not a flaw, of urban life. Until we fix who governs water, we will continue drowning in the consequences.

The grim reality demands not just recognition of the problem, but a swift and transformative shift towards comprehensive solutions. Crucially, this involves embracing nature-based solutions that work with, rather than against, our natural hydrology. This means aggressively reviving and restoring our choked canals, turning them back into functioning arteries for water flow instead of stagnant waste receptacles. Furthermore, we must actively pursue the creation of urban retention ponds and expand green spaces that can absorb excess rainfall, acting as vital sponges during deluges. Innovations such as green roofing and permeable pavements must become standard practice in urban development, allowing water to infiltrate the ground naturally rather than overwhelm drainage systems.

We do not need to reinvent the wheel; successful models exist globally. Singapore's ABC Waters Programme—which integrates water bodies into the urban landscape for both drainage and recreation—offers a powerful blueprint. What Bangladesh desperately needs is a Drainage Master Plan 2.0: a forward-looking strategy that not only updates archaic designs but fundamentally integrates the latest climate data and rigorously enforces wetland zoning laws. This cannot be a top-down directive. It requires active, regular dialogue and collaboration among urban planners, climate scientists, engineers and local communities—the very people who live and breathe these challenges. Only by working together can we design and implement a resilient drainage system capable of facing the climate realities of tomorrow.

The choice before us is stark. If we fail to fix our urban drainage systems now, the floods of the future will not merely damage property and disrupt daily life—they will systematically drown opportunity. They will wash away the entrepreneurial spirit of our small businesses and stifle economic growth. They will erode public health, fostering outbreaks of waterborne diseases. Most tragically, they will extinguish hope, leaving our citizens trapped in a cycle of despair and vulnerability. The time for action is not tomorrow, but today. Our collective future, and the very liveability of our cities, depends on it.

Nahian Rahman is research associate at Bangladesh Institute of Governance and Management (BIGM).​