As the most vulnerable climatic region in the country, Khulna City is increasingly experiencing climate‐change‐induced urban problems. For instance, occupancy by climate migrants (delete the term “illegal migrant”), drainage congestion, water logging and reduced fresh water availability are all increasing problems. In the last decade, the population in the city increased by more than 20 per cent due to migration from nearby climate vulnerable districts. This study explores the health disorders of climate migrants occupying the urban slums and squats of the Khulna City area. This study found that these climate migrants settled in the urban slums and squats and, as such, they do not have access to urban amenities such as clean drinking water, hygiene services, and health facilities. This study noted that these displaced people are at increased risk of health issues from unhygienic and overcrowded living conditions and from water and sanitation problems. They often suffer from different waterborne diseases, under‐nutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. This study suggests that there is a need for better planning, preparation and training in Bangladesh to which migrants move, including better training in health and related services on how to recognize and respond to health problems that may be slow to manifest. Education and training also need to be provided for the migrants themselves, to help them adapt culturally and to enhance their skills and potential for employment.
Electronic waste (e-waste) is one of the fastest-growing pollution problems worldwide given the presence if a variety of toxic substances which can contaminate the environment and threaten human health, if disposal protocols are not meticulously managed. In Bangladesh almost 2.7 million metric tons of ewaste generated per year. Of this amount only 20 to 30 percent is recycled and the rest of the waste is released in to landfills, rivers, drains lakes, canals, open spaces which are very hazardous for the health and environment. Since Bangladesh is in the stream of rapid technological advancement, it is seldom to take necessary steps to avoid the future jeopardized situation because of e-waste. The current practices of e-waste management in Bangladesh suffer from a number of drawbacks like the difficulty in inventorisation, unhealthy conditions of informal recycling, inadequate legislation and policy, poor awareness and reluctance on part of the corporate to address the critical issues. The paper highlights the associated issues and strategies to address this emerging problem, analyses the policy and its gaps. Therefore, this paper also suggest that e-waste policy development may require a more customized approach where, instead of addressing e-waste in isolation, it should be addressed as part of the national development agenda that integrates green economy assessment and strategic environmental assessment as part of national policy planning. Finally this work also suggests some alternative strategies and approaches to overcome the challenges of e-waste.
Dhaka has experienced high economic growth escorted by rapid urbanization. Physical infrastructures of Dhaka city are growing day by day with the swiftness of rapid urbanization. It revealed that most of the physical infrastructures such as buildings of Dhaka city did not follow the characteristics of sustainability thereby resulting in significant threats to the well-being of the people. In this perspective, ensuring sustainability in buildings is a time-worthy issue in Bangladesh. In this article, we have tried to address the issues of sustainable building and propose a sustainable and smart design which will swathe the criteria of environment, social and economic sustainability of Dhaka city. If the majority of the objectives of proposed design are met, the building will be more probable to meet the changing requirements of the settlers and make it a more sustainable, protected, secure, efficient and environmentally friendly place to stay.
The agricultural system of coastal regions of Bangladesh is heavily dependent on environmental factors such as the timing, intensity and distribution of the monsoon, soil salinity and the availability of freshwater for irrigation. This study explores and documents the farmers’ practices of innovative approaches to fresh water storage and uses in the agriculture and irrigation in the coastal regions of Bangladesh. The study was mostly qualitative in nature but some quantitative primary data were collected based on the study objectives. Primary data were collected through in-depth individual interviews, group discussions, focused group discussions and key informant interviews. The data collection for this study was carried out in the Bajua and Laodob union of Dacope upazilla of Khulna district. This study found that the mainstay of the economy of the study areas is agriculture (51.67% for the Bajua and 50.43% for the Laodob union) and bulk of the local population is dependent on farming. The study found that in 2009 the shrimp farming is being stopped in the study areas by collective efforts of villagers, local political leaders and different NGOs. These areas are now affected by severe water scarcity problems and due to lack of water sources and the increasing salinity, the people in the study areas cultivate rice (Aman) once a year, but now produce robi crops in the summer season. Farmers depend mainly on rainwater, canals, ponds and rivers. It noted that groundwater for irrigation using deep tube wall is failed in the study areas because groundwater lever has already gone very down. This study explored that the increasing salinity, lack of water sources, with temperatures rising, the recurrent natural extremes are impacting on agriculture intensifying the vicious cycle of hunger and poverty are becoming more frequent especially in the summer season. It is interestingly noted that the farmers in the study areas dig small/ mini ponds beside agriculture land during rainy season for storing freshwater which are used in summer season for irrigating robi crops because in summer season, the salinity increases in soil and water and, canal and river become silted. This study revealed that because of high salinity in groundwater and surface water, the people of the study areas use rainwater collecting it in the rainy season and storing it for use during the dry season. However, within a short period, insects begin to breed and nuisances created in the water which affects the quality of water using for irrigation and drinking. To prevent this from happening, some people keep two or three Kai fish (Climbing Perch) in the container to eat insects and keep the water clean and, free of nuisances. This study also importantly noted that to keep the stored rainwater free from any nuisances, some people of the study areas place a paste made from two or three pieces of raw turmeric wrapped in a clean cloth into the water container. They use this as herbal repellant in the form of turmeric in order to keep stored rainwater free of pollution. Communities developed these practices out of necessity and these practices are not tested scientifically, but people believe in their efficacy.
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