Long-term environmental issues for Bangladesh

Abstract

Bangladesh is situated on the largest delta plain in the world. The Bangladesh landscape is a flat to gently undulating flood plain with a network of river systems. Half of the delta plain is at elevations at less than ten metres above sea level. The southern coastal region forms part of the largest mangrove forest complex in the world. Natural resources of Bangladesh include water, land, fisheries, forest and wildlife. The huge (140 million) and rapidly increasing population of Bangladesh places an immense pressure on these natural resources and on the environment. Human health problems related to the environment are primarily due to contaminated ground and surface waters. Metcalfe discusses contributory factors: disregard of environmental procedures and standards introduced by the Bangladeshi government, climate change, agricultural intensification, unsustainable land use and energy consumption, industrialisation, urbanisation, river pollution and groundwater contamination, and offers suggestions for remediation of the latter.