Environment Pollution Paragraph
The state of environmental pollution in Bangladesh is very alarming and is average more dangerous to the poor, children below 5 years, the elderly, and women. Air pollution, unsafe water, poor sanitation, and hygiene, and exposure to lead remain the leading precursors of death and disease, causing more than 272,000 premature deaths and 5.2 billion illness days every year. These environmental problems amounted to 17.6% in the year 2019 alone in the equivalent of GDP. The most severe harmful aspects to human health are derived from household and ambient air, which comprises close to 55% of premature deaths and is estimated to have resulted in a cost of 8.32% of GDP in the year 2019. This state of environmental pollution is causing uncountable damage to children. It is unalterably that it brings damage to brain development at a possible annual detriment of close to nearly 20 million IQ points. Timely and urgent interventions for air pollution control, improved water, sanitation, and hygiene, and lead exposure control can avert over 133,000 premature deaths each year. Bangladesh can protect its environment by establishing evidence-based priorities, strengthening related policy instruments, and developing an enabling environment for green financing.
Environment Pollution Paragraph in 250 Words
The country is also facing a host of terrifying environmental issues, including air pollution, water contamination, and biodiversity damage. The sources of air pollution are the growing population, the burning of fossil fuels, and industrialization, which go hand in hand with motorized vehicles. The water is polluted due to industrial discharges, municipal waste, agrochemicals, salinity intrusion, and arsenic contamination. All these factors have been degrading the quality of rivers for years and continue to be a persistent problem. Industrial effluents and the use of agrochemicals, coupled with faecal contamination, mostly cause these problems. Even as Bangladesh contributes a trivial 0.56% to the world’s changing climate-impacted emissions, it ranks as the seventh-most climate-induced disaster-prone country in the world. Due to the vagaries of climate change, the country has borne 185 extreme weather events, not to mention a loss amounting to $3.72 billion in the period from 2000 to 2019.
Water pollution poses serious health risks in Bangladesh. Around 700 tanneries in Dhaka city discharge an estimated 16000 cubic meters of liquid, toxic waste into surrounding rivers. The other major aspects of water pollution, apart from the indiscriminate discharge of solid waste, come from domestic and hospital waste. This will lead to a further decrease in the number of fish and directly influence millions of people who rely on the fishing industry for their livelihood. This decreases the catch of fish and negatively impacts the aquaculture industry, a major contributor to the economy of the country. Diseases like diarrhoea, cholera, and typhoid are more common because of the pollution of water. As a result of poor health, higher expenses on health care can prevail, and the loss of productivity due to illness can be a burden on the country’s economy.
Environment Pollution Paragraph in 300 Words
There are several dismal and compelling environmental problems in Bangladesh with very wide economic implications. Key environmental problems of the country include air and water pollution, deforestation, land degradation, and loss of biodiversity. Air pollution in the country poses a potential risk to the health of the population in major cities of Bangladesh. It is attributed to air pollution due to factors like an increase in population, burning fossil fuels, industrialization, and motorized vehicles. Indoor air filth often occurs with the use of biomass fuels during cooking with poor ventilation. Industrial emissions and automobiles are the major sources of outdoor air filth. The average Dhaka dweller loses about eight years of their life.
It comes basically from industrial discharges, municipal wastes, agrochemicals, salinity intrusion, and arsenic contamination. Such water problems arise mainly from industrial effluents, agrochemical uses, and faecal contaminations. The 700 tanneries of Dhaka city discharge about 16000 cubic meters of toxic waste in rivers every day. The major sources of contamination from water are indiscriminate discharges of solid wastes and domestic and hospital wastes. It decreases fish populations, hence causing a definite loss to the livelihood of millions of people dependent upon this fishing industry. It takes a strike at the fish catching, which decreases the contribution to the aquaculture sector and therefore the economy of the country. It increases the prevalence of waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, and typhoid. This could act as a drag on the economy due to consequent expenses on healthcare and loss in productivity because of illness.
Another grave area of concern for the environment in Bangladesh is deforestation. The destruction of natural forests is slowly reducing yearly by about 3.3% as a result of forest resource exploitation intended for commercial logging, the collection of fuel wood, and the expansion of agricultural land. The erosions of soil due to deforestation result in fertile topsoil loss, thereby decreasing the productivity of the agricultural lands. The exceptional threat of the magnitude of climate change is seventh among the countries most vulnerable to disasters caused by climate-related changes. In that period, the country recorded 185 weather calamities and economic loss estimated at $3.72 billion. The numbers of people that have been displaced from their natural dwelling places by the changing climate make them depend on urban places, which poses a lot of pressure and threatens social and economic stability.
Environment Pollution Composition
The rapid growth of population, urbanization, and development has put enormous pressure on the environment, causing alarmingly high levels of air contamination, water pollution, deforestation, and biodiversity loss. This environmental crisis is faced by Bangladesh and it possibly could impair the health and well-being of its population besides impeding the economic development of this nation. Major sources of air pollution are vehicular emissions, industries, and burning of fossil and biomass fuel for cooking and heating applications. High concentration levels of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) in the atmosphere expose the public to adverse effects on health, respiratory diseases, heart problems, and premature deaths. In fact, according to the 2019 World Bank report, in India, because of air pollution, 8.32% of GDP economic cost was due.
Water pollution is one other major issue in Bangladesh. Industrial effluents, municipal wastes, and agrochemicals have resulted in the serious pollution of the country’s rivers, lakes, and groundwater sources. That danger is when huge textile, leather, and chemical industries discharge their untreated toxic waste into the nearby water bodies. This has wrought catastrophic impacts on aquatic systems including the Fisheries Department, besides the risks to human health. Common waterborne diseases include diarrhoea, cholera, and typhoid, and they result in very high costs in health care and productivity.
Another environmental problem facing the country of Bangladesh is deforestation. The natural forests in the country are disappearing at an alarming rate due to commercial logging, fuel wood, and agricultural expansion. Consequently, the country is experiencing soil erosion, biodiversity loss, and minimal agricultural productivity. Other contributions concern climate change by deforestation processes in countries because the forests are carbon sinks.
It poses a great threat and places the country among those most vulnerable to climate change. Already, rising sea levels by more frequent and more intensive natural disasters, and changes in patterns of precipitation, have affected the agriculture, infrastructure, and human settlements of the country. These climate changes disproportionately affect the poor and marginalized in society and are particularly poorly equipped to cope with the challenges.
These challenges require a comprehensive, integrated approach that mainstreams all stakeholders, from government to the private sector and civil society. The country has to amp its environmental regulations and enforcement mechanisms, investment in clean technologies and renewable energies, and sustainable agricultural and forestry practices as well as public awareness.
Addressing the challenge of the environment and sustainable development through the government of Bangladesh, concerning the United Nations Environment Programme, the capacity of the key actors in development has been raised, and awareness in these related aspects has been increased. However, the country has a lot of unmet, pressing challenges that need to be addressed to secure a sustainable future for its people.
In that light, this problem is a critical issue for developing countries and, therefore, needs very urgent consideration. Consequently, rapid population growth, urbanization, and industrialization in the country have been the cause of an unavoidably high increase in air and water pollution, deforestation, and loss of biodiversity. This has posed serious challenges to public health, the rate of economic development, and the human development achievement of the country. To deal with such issues, needs to integrate a holistic approach with all stakeholders and support this by the international community. A united effort can help Bangladesh overcome the challenges posed before it and set the path towards building a more prosperous and resilient future for the people.
UNEP Steps for Environment Pollution
The UNEP has been working with the Government of Bangladesh to reduce environmental pollution and ensure sustainable development. Initiatives include:
1. Support to national environmental policy formulation and action plan
UNEP has provided technical support to the government for the development of comprehensive environmental policies and action plans not only for addressing the major problems of air, water, and forest pollution but also for climate change. These policies have to do with target setting and strategies for reducing pollution and ensuring the stimulation of sustainable development.
2. Technical support for the implementation of multilateral environmental agreements
Bangladesh is a signatory to several multilateral environmental agreements including the Paris Agreement on climate change as well as the Minamata Convention on Mercury. UNEP, in some respects, extends technical assistance in the implementation of those agreements and towards fulfilling the obligations under these agreements.
3. Encouraging the use of clean technologies and renewable energy
They are working with the government and the private sector in this country to promote the use of clean technologies and sources of energy that are renewable. This includes support for energy from solar projects, promotion of energy use efficiency in industrial and household settings, and technical support for the adoption of cleaner production methods.
4. Enhancing public awareness and participation in environmental decision-making
UNEP worked toward public awareness regarding environmental issues in Bangladesh and encouraged participation in the whole decision-making process.
5. Enhancing the capacity of the government institutions and civil society organizations around environmental issues
They work on strengthening the capacity of government-based institutions and civil society organizations to address concerns about the environment. This works on training and capacity development programs, effective monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, and actively involving knowledge sharing and networking between implementing and donor organizations.
6. Supporting the development of green financing mechanisms
UNEP supports the design of green financing mechanisms that underpin investments in sustainable development projects. The facilities entail moving forward the green bonds, fostering the development of safeguards to investments, and easing access to climate finance for adaptation and mitigation projects.
7. Promotion of sustainable agriculture and forest practices
This includes fostering the development of organic agriculture, promoting agroforestry, and providing technical assistance on sustainable forest management.
8. Facilitation of international cooperation and knowledge-sharing
The UNEP has facilitated international cooperation and knowledge sharing with countries facing the same challenges. This extends to the arrangement of regional workshops and conferences, supporting the development of regional environmental frameworks, and facilitating sharing of best practices, including lessons learned.
Generally, the work has been delivered toward supporting the government and stakeholders to handle pollution of the environment and foster sustainable growth.