Bangladesh is experiencing serious environmental degradation.

In many respects, the situation has reached crisis

proportions. Several factors make Bangladesh particularly vulnerable to environmental damage. Yet,
environmental degradation is not an inevitable price that Bangladesh has to pay for economic growth. There are
examples showing that the goals of environmental protection and economic growth can be complementary.
Bangladesh is making some efforts to confront environmental problems.
However, these efforts are not proving adequate for the challenge. The underlying cause of the inadequacy is
absence of a strong, broad-based social movement for environmental protection in Bangladesh. The common
people of Bangladesh because of their link with the traditional mode of life are inherently environment friendly.
However, they are also burdened with the daily struggle for survival. The intelligentsia and members of the civil
society will have to play a leading role in building up the necessary social movement. The non-resident
Bangladeshis (NRB) and members of the international environment movement can join the resident Bangladeshis
(RB) in this effort. There are some encouraging signs. It is now necessary to build on them. Existing proenvironment forces need to coalesce, enlist new forces, and thus build up a strong, broad-based, social movement
for protection of Bangladeshs environment.
Bangladesh is one of the least developed countries with a low resource base, a burgeoning population with a very
low land-man ratio, often threatened by both natural & anthropogenic stresses. The vast majority of the
population lives almost exclusively on the natural resource base. This resource base is under serious threat and
environmental planning is essential for the survival with dignity for Bangladeshs over 115 million people & for
sustainability of the ecosystem.
Like all other nations of the world, Bangladesh also acted to the global call for the protection
andconservation of natural environment & ecology. Industrial development significantlycontributes towards
economic growth of a country. It brings along with it a host of environmental problem too. It is increasingly being
recognized in Bangladesh as in other part of the world that for development to be meaningful & sustainable over
a longer period environmental concern must be integrated into all development policies. Any planning effort must
be for the people as there the users of environmental resources in the final analysis. The constitution of
Bangladesh begins its preamble, We, the people of Bangladesh having proclaimed our independence In article
7(1) of the preamble, the constitution proclaims, All powers in the republic belong to the people, and their exercise
on behalf of the people shall be effective only under, and by the authority of this constitution.
Although environmental issues in Bangladesh are similar to those in most other developing countries, the
geophysical settings, socio-demographic features as well as economic and cultural practices of Bangladesh add
extra facets to its environment. As a vast deltaic plain crisscrossed by a network of some mighty rivers and a
large number of their tributaries and distributaries, Bangladesh is formed by alluvial soil washed down from the
highlands especially from the Himalayas. A huge amount of water from the uplands flows through the country to
the Bay of Bengal. In addition to alluvial fertile soil, Bangladesh enjoys subtropical monsoon climate
characterized by high temperatures, heavy rainfall, and excessive humidity with marked seasonal variations.
Land and water are two important resources providing the means of livelihoods forth country's teeming
population. The fertile land has historically been suitable for growing varieties of crops under natural
environment without using any chemical fertilizers, pesticides and mechanized irrigation. Rice, the main crop,
has long been cultivated under rained conditions. Fish, the main source of animal protein, has come from the
water bodies including rivers, lakes, ponds and flood plains through natural process.
The easy availability of basic food items has been the main reason for Bangladesh to be one of the most populous
regions of the world. Because of its geophysical settings, Bangladesh is susceptible to different natural calamities
including regular monsoon floods and occasional severe cyclonic storms along with tidal surges causing colossus
losses to lives and properties. The agrarian society has endured and shown utmost resilience to such natural

environment. Traditional outlook and values as well as religious and cultural practices have been conducive to
environment and natural balance. The natural environment, however, has been under continuous pressure due to
various human activities directed to modern development. The major thrust for development involving creation of
infrastructural facilities, large industrial ventures and mechanization of agriculture were initiated in the early
sixties. Some large-scale dams designed for flood protection, power plants and industrial units were set up during
this period. Although Bangladesh has not achieved the desired infrastructural and industrial development
landfalls behind many other Asian countries, a lot of damage has already been caused to the local.