Bangladesh is now facing a serious crisis of "electricity shortage". Various measures are being taken to save electricity. However, if we take the following measures we can save a considerable amount of power:
1. BILLBOARDS - It has been observed that a large number of billboards in Dhaka city are using electric lights at night. This should be stopped immediately to conserve power.
2. SHOP SIGNBOARDS - A large number of shops keep their signboard lights on throughout the night, although the shops are now closed at 7:00 pm. All shopkeepers should be advised to put off the lights at 7:00pm.
May 28, 2010
May 23, 2010
How will it respond to predicted climate change?
KUAKATA, locally known as Sagar Kannya (daughter of the sea) is located in the southwest of Bangladesh. Next to Cox's Bazar it is the second most famous sea beach of this country. And Kuakata is one of the rarest sea beaches of the world, which has a rare scenic beauty offering the full view of the rising and setting of crimson sun in the water of the Bay of Bengal. This 30 km long and 03 km wide beach has a typical natural setting and sandy as gently sloping into the Bay of Bengal.
It is 70 km away from Patuakhali district headquarters and 320 km from the capital Dhaka. The sight is characterised by an excellent combination of eye-catching natural beauty, sandy beach, blue sky, huge expanse of water of the Bay and evergreen forest. The unique customs of the 'Rakhyne' tribal families and Buddhist temple of about hundred years old indicate the ancient tradition and cultural heritage in the area.
Kuakata is a unique example of co-occurrence of different ecosystems. There are remnants of mangroves in this beach. The line of coconut trees has increased the scenic beauty of this seashore. The nearby Fatra and Gangamati mangrove forests (part of Sundarbans) have enriched the biodiversity of this territory. The tamarisk (Jhou) forests have added more attraction to this beach.
It is 70 km away from Patuakhali district headquarters and 320 km from the capital Dhaka. The sight is characterised by an excellent combination of eye-catching natural beauty, sandy beach, blue sky, huge expanse of water of the Bay and evergreen forest. The unique customs of the 'Rakhyne' tribal families and Buddhist temple of about hundred years old indicate the ancient tradition and cultural heritage in the area.
Kuakata is a unique example of co-occurrence of different ecosystems. There are remnants of mangroves in this beach. The line of coconut trees has increased the scenic beauty of this seashore. The nearby Fatra and Gangamati mangrove forests (part of Sundarbans) have enriched the biodiversity of this territory. The tamarisk (Jhou) forests have added more attraction to this beach.
April 25, 2010
A silent icy river in Dhaka!
You will certainly not believe any snowfall in Dhaka! But what about an icy river? And that even not in the winter, just in the month of April, 2010? In fact it is a common scene since long. And what about thinking of a north-bound river? You must be thinking something has gone wrong with me.
Not exactly. I invite you to accompany me in my morning walk upto the middle of the Mirpur-Manikdi (Uttara) link road under construction. A branch of the river Turag flows here, surprisingly, in the northern direction, under a temporary culvert built to facilitate the bridge construction. Would you believe from the culvert up to about 200 metres downstream, it is all icy! Torn, scattered, 1-2 feet icy layer and some snow-balls rolling in the gentle breeze will widen your eyes. But, your nasal will obviously response avoringly to the severe sulphuric smell! Then you may easily assume that some chemical waste discharged from the nearby garment industries and the sewerage run-off caused these icy foams. And the huge amount of disposed liquid and probably some blockage in the south made the little river flow north. A dreamy outlook in reality is a foamy dirty brook!
Not exactly. I invite you to accompany me in my morning walk upto the middle of the Mirpur-Manikdi (Uttara) link road under construction. A branch of the river Turag flows here, surprisingly, in the northern direction, under a temporary culvert built to facilitate the bridge construction. Would you believe from the culvert up to about 200 metres downstream, it is all icy! Torn, scattered, 1-2 feet icy layer and some snow-balls rolling in the gentle breeze will widen your eyes. But, your nasal will obviously response avoringly to the severe sulphuric smell! Then you may easily assume that some chemical waste discharged from the nearby garment industries and the sewerage run-off caused these icy foams. And the huge amount of disposed liquid and probably some blockage in the south made the little river flow north. A dreamy outlook in reality is a foamy dirty brook!
Urban poverty and environmental degradation: Vicious cycle
GREEN' issues are spearheading discussions on resource management, biodiversity and global warming, while the environmental problems known as 'Brown Agenda' have been neglected for a long time. Challenges in addressing and meeting the brown agenda in the cities have acquired prominence among the planning and development professionals around the world. It is well accepted that rapid urbanisation has aggravated problems like sanitation and drainage, solid waste management, degradation of soil and land, uncontrolled emissions from the domestic and industrial activities, street and abode congestions and improper disposal of hazardous waste resulting in poor health of people. Cities and towns have been hubs of economic development but how this economic development must be achieved in the first place? Do the rapid industrialisation, urbanisation and development of communication network add impetus to economic development at the cost of environment?
The root causes of environmental degradation in urban areas are the unplanned and hardly coordinated inter-play of socio-economic, institutional and technical activities. There are many factors, which may have greater impacts on the urban environment but poverty still remains at the root of several environmental problems. Let us try to understand the urban poverty and environmental degradation before blaming each other.
The root causes of environmental degradation in urban areas are the unplanned and hardly coordinated inter-play of socio-economic, institutional and technical activities. There are many factors, which may have greater impacts on the urban environment but poverty still remains at the root of several environmental problems. Let us try to understand the urban poverty and environmental degradation before blaming each other.
February 12, 2010
The development and environment conflict
The conflict between development and environment still remains unresolved. Industrial revolution in the 1780s, Green revolution in the 1960s gave great prosperity to humankind but snatched away many things of importance and in some cases caused irreversible damages. England first had the industrial revolution and Edwin Chadwick in 1842, 70 years after the industrial revolution submitted the world's first famous report on water pollution to the British Parliament. Following the start of Green revolution, Silent Spring published by Ms. Rachel Carson indicated the toxicity of insecticides such as DDT in 1962.
The industrial revolution and its deep connection with strongly infectious diseases such as Cholera and Dysentery gave birth to “Public Health Act (1848)” in England. In 1911, H A Volux submitted the first report in the world on the disaster of air pollution titled “The Disaster Caused by Dust and Fog in Glasgow, Scotland (estimated death toll: 1063)”. Los Angeles Smog (1951), London Smog (1952) caused death of 400 and 4000 persons respectively. Minamata disease due to water pollution by organic mercury (Hg) in Kumamoto around 1959, Yokkaichi asthma (due to air pollution) around 1972, water pollution in Dokai Bay (Sea of Death) in the 1960s and loss of fisheries are some noted events in Japan. Still there are victims of Hg pollution.
February 6, 2010
Environmental balance can achive by Sustainable use
WATER and life are synonymous. Life is bountiful in terms of diversity and ecosystem-health in those regions on the earth where there are good sources of water supply either from stream, rain or groundwater aquifer. Not only life in the natural ecosystems is inevitably dependent on water but abundant supply of safe water is essential for healthy human life. Already we are facing water crisis at different places in the world. Conflicts are rising at local, regional and interntional level concerning rights to have access to water.
Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)
Conflict over trans-boundary rivers is a major concern in the arena of international relation now-a-days. For instance, Farakka barrage remained the most burning issue between Bangladesh and India, Bangladesh being deprived of its righteous share of the Gangetic water. The demand for water from domestic to industrial sector is just soaring over the current years while pollution of water sources such as lakes, rivers and also ground water is rising in scale due to inconsiderate disposal of solid and liquid waste in the water bodies. The rivers around the city are so polluted that water harnessing from these rivers by water supplying authority is no more economically feasible. The recent clean Buriganga drive is praiseworthy but it will take time for the river water to be harnessed for domestic use.
Meanwhile too much extraction of ground water is creating a great threat for the city dwellers with apprehension of earthquake cooming bigger and here comes the relevance of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM). According to Global Water Partnership (GWP), IWRM is a process which promotes the loordinated development and management of water, land and related resources in order to maximize the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital eco-systems thus maintaining an environmental balance.
Principles of IWRM:
* Fresh water is a finite and vulnerable resource, but essential to sustain life, development and the environment.
* Water development and management should be based on a participatory approach, involving users, planners and policymakers at all levels.
* Women play a central part in the provision, management and safeguarding of water.
* Water has an economic value in all its competing uses and should be recognised as an economic goods.
IWRM aims at:
* Efficiency to make water resources go as far as possible.
* Equity in the allocation of water across different social and economic groups.
* Environmental sustainability, to protect the water resources base and associated eco-systems.
Impacts of Flood Control Drainage Irrigation (FCDI):
* Land degradation: micronutrient deficiencies
* Open water fisheries: loss of connectivity
* Water quality issues
* Drinking water and sanitation problems
* Social issue: control over common property resources
* Impact on wild life and biodiversity
* Increase in hazards from failure of infrastructure
Challenges and issues in water management:
* Ever expanding water needs of a growing economy and population.
* Maintaining food security for this huge population puts tremendous challenge (Additional food grain demand of 9.5 million tons in 2025)
* More and more agricultural land is being taken up for urban and other uses
* Preserving natural ecosystems
* Maintaining environmental equilibrium
Source
Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)
Conflict over trans-boundary rivers is a major concern in the arena of international relation now-a-days. For instance, Farakka barrage remained the most burning issue between Bangladesh and India, Bangladesh being deprived of its righteous share of the Gangetic water. The demand for water from domestic to industrial sector is just soaring over the current years while pollution of water sources such as lakes, rivers and also ground water is rising in scale due to inconsiderate disposal of solid and liquid waste in the water bodies. The rivers around the city are so polluted that water harnessing from these rivers by water supplying authority is no more economically feasible. The recent clean Buriganga drive is praiseworthy but it will take time for the river water to be harnessed for domestic use.
Meanwhile too much extraction of ground water is creating a great threat for the city dwellers with apprehension of earthquake cooming bigger and here comes the relevance of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM). According to Global Water Partnership (GWP), IWRM is a process which promotes the loordinated development and management of water, land and related resources in order to maximize the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital eco-systems thus maintaining an environmental balance.
Principles of IWRM:
* Fresh water is a finite and vulnerable resource, but essential to sustain life, development and the environment.
* Water development and management should be based on a participatory approach, involving users, planners and policymakers at all levels.
* Women play a central part in the provision, management and safeguarding of water.
* Water has an economic value in all its competing uses and should be recognised as an economic goods.
IWRM aims at:
* Efficiency to make water resources go as far as possible.
* Equity in the allocation of water across different social and economic groups.
* Environmental sustainability, to protect the water resources base and associated eco-systems.
Impacts of Flood Control Drainage Irrigation (FCDI):
* Land degradation: micronutrient deficiencies
* Open water fisheries: loss of connectivity
* Water quality issues
* Drinking water and sanitation problems
* Social issue: control over common property resources
* Impact on wild life and biodiversity
* Increase in hazards from failure of infrastructure
Challenges and issues in water management:
* Ever expanding water needs of a growing economy and population.
* Maintaining food security for this huge population puts tremendous challenge (Additional food grain demand of 9.5 million tons in 2025)
* More and more agricultural land is being taken up for urban and other uses
* Preserving natural ecosystems
* Maintaining environmental equilibrium
Source
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