Bangladesh has a unique geographic location situated between the Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal. It has a vast river system composed of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers which shape the country's landscape, economy, and culture. However, this also makes Bangladesh vulnerable to flooding and transboundary issues due to upstream water management. Additionally, the country faces numerous environmental challenges such as population growth, urbanization, climate change, natural disasters, and various forms of pollution which threaten its environment. Proper management of water resources and mitigation of natural hazards are crucial for Bangladesh's sustainable development.

1. Geographical Features &
Environmental Issues in
Bangladesh
Dr. AnisurRahman Khan
1

2. Bangladesh: Geographical Facts
Facts Facts Facts
 Location: South
Asia
 Area: 148,460 sq
km
 Land boundary:
Burma 271 km&
India 4,142 km
 Coastal line: 580
 Territorial sea:
12nm, Economic
zone: 200 nm
 Terrain: mostly
flat alluvial plain;
hilly in southeast,
also some part of
eastern &
southern portion
 Landscapes:
Floodplains
(80%), terraces
(8%), hills (12%)
& other(8%)
 Land:
Agricultural
(70.1%), Forest
(11.1%) & Other
18.8%
2

3. Bangladesh: Geography Facts
Facts Facts Facts
 Hills: High hills
(over20 meters
altitude) in the
southeast, and low
hills (less than 20
meters) in the
northeast
 Natural resources:
natural gas, arable
land, timber, coal,
waterresources etc.
 Climate: Tropical;
mild winter
(Novemberto
February); hot,
humid summer
(March to June);
humid, warm
rainy monsoon
(June to October)
 Seasons
(Meteorological &
Cropping):
Summer,
monsoon, winter
 Net sown area:
17.5% single crop,
54.7% double crop
& 20.4% triple
crop
 Natural resources:
natural gas,
arable land,
timber, coal,
waterresources
etc.
3

4. Bangladesh occupies a unique geographic location. The mighty Himalaya
mountain chain of the north and the open ocean of the South. It is
virtually the only drainage outlet for a vast river basin complex made up
of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna and theirnetwork.
4

5. Bangladesh- A land of rivers
The river systems have
shaped much of the history,
economy, literature and rich
culture of the people
About 700 rivers;
River length: 25,000 km;
Transboundary river: 57
5

6. Ganga, B’putra & Meghna riversystemis
the second largest in the world, only next
to Amazan

7. The Complex WaterSystem
1. Beels, baors, haors, rivers and
canals, floodplains, estuaries etc.
make up vast networkof wetlands
2. Bangladesh is located within the
largest delta that is continuously
being formed, along with heavy clay
soil making its rivers constantly
subject to change
3. Large areas are subject to annual7

8. The Ganges River Basin
8

9. Geographical Advantages
• Tropical climate favours high-yielding
agriculture possible
• Flatness of land, good soil, quantity of
waterare good assets forcultivation
• Bangladesh possesses a rich heritage of bio-
diversity. Population is heavily reliant on
management of natural resources, forests
and hill tracts fortheirlivelihood and
survival
• Extensive coastline opens access to
oceanfront resources, strategic importance,
9

10. Geographical Advantages
10

11. Geographical Advantages
• Afterthe final settlement of
maritime borderdisputes with
Myanmarand India in 2012 and 2014
respectively, Bangladesh has
received entitlement to 118,813 sq.
kmcomprising herterritorial sea and
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
(MoFA, 2014)
• HUGE POTENTIAL FOR 11

12. International Politics of Water
Mgt
• Bangladesh is highly constrained
managing its waterneeds
• As a lower“riparian” country
Bangladesh is heavily vulnerable to the
downstreameffects of India’s water
management efforts
• Farakka barrage on Ganges built in
1974 became a source of political
tension
• In 1996 two countries signed 30 yr
12

13. International Politics of Water
Mgt
• Second disputes relates to Teesta, a
barrage built by Bangladesh in 1990
hampered operation while India built
barrage in upstream
• Tipaimukhydroelectric project is
anotherexample of India’s interference
with Bangladesh’s waterrights
13

14. International Politics of Water
Mgt
Farakka
Tipimuk
Teesta
14

15. Environmental Issues in
BangladeshCritical Issues Sudden onset
issues
Slow onset process
 Population Growth
 Climate change
 Urbanization
 Water& Sanitation
 Various Pollution
 Deforestation
 Arsenic
Contamination
 Solid waste
Management
 Floods
 Cyclones
 RiverErosion
 Earthquake
 Coastal erosion
 Sea level rise
 Salt water
intrusion
 Rising temp
 Drought
 Changing rainfall
15

16. 1.Huge flows of rainfall and snow melt from Himalayas
across the boarder
2. Poor Drainage system
3. Excessive silt load in the river due to soil erosion
•Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Basins

18. 1. Cyclone wind come from south-
West side.
2. 70% Cyclone occurs in Spring
and Summer season.
3. Main cause for cyclone is
geographical location
4. Bangladesh is severely affected
by Cyclone
Massive loss after Cyclone
Cyclone wind direction
CYCLONE

19. 19

20. Cyclone SIDR2007 Track
20
Cyclone Sidr, 2007.mp4

21. Suddenly Natural gas is coming out
EARTHQUAKE
1. We feel shake sometimes
2. Very densely populated area,
so any future earthquake will bring
serious affect

22. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date Name( Place) Magnitude Epicenter distance
in Richter from Dhaka (km)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10 Jan 1869 Kachar earthquake 7.5 250
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14 Jul 1885 Bengal earthquake(Bogra ) 7.0 170
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12 Jun 1897 Great Indian Earthquake 8.7 230
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
08 Jul 1918 Srimangal Earthquake ( Srimangal) 7.6 150
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
02 Jul 1930 Dhubri Earthquake 7.1 250
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15 Jan 1934 Bihar-Nepal Earthquake (Bihar) 8.3 510
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15 Aug 1950 Asam Earthquake (Asam) 8.5 780
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
08 May 1997 Sylhet Earthquake (Sylhet ) 6.0 210
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
21 Nov 1997 Chittagong Earthquake (Chittagong) 8.5 264
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
22 Jul 1999 Moheskhali Earthquake (Cox;s Bazar ) 5.2 300
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
27-Jul 2003 Chittagong-Rangamati Earthquake 5.9 290

23. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date Name( Place) Magnitude Epicenter distance
in Richter from Dhaka (km)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 Jan 2016 Imphal /Nepal earthquake 6.7 352
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13 April 2016 Myanmar 6.9 ---
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

24. Bangladesh is divided into 3 earthquake
zones :
• Zone –1 : the less risky zone (includes
Jessore , Khulna and Barisal Dist .)
• Zone – 2 : medium vulnerable zone
(includes Dhaka ,Rajshahi , Dinajpur,
Bogra , Chittagong and Noakhali Dist.
• Zone – 3 : the most vulnerable zone
(includes Sylhet , Mymensingh and
Rangpur Districts.)
EARTHQUAKE ZONES IN BANGLADESH

25. TORNADO
1. Tornado occurs in
central
part of Bangladesh.
2. 75% Tornado occurs in
Monsoon season
3. People affected within a
few
minutes.

26. DROUGHT
# Drought occures in
Pre-
Monsoon time
# Lackof rain and
Moisture, the People
affected by Drought
# Sometimes, North-
west
And South-west
regions
affected by drought
The paddy field for over sunlight

27. RIVER BANK EROSION
Embankment broken by the river
1.River Bank Erosion causes in the
Rainy season.
3.About 1 million people affected by
this disaster in every year.
4.People migrate from one place to
another.

28. Solid waste creates problems primarily
in high-population areas
• Half of the solid waste comes from
household
• Dhaka city corporations can collect
42% of the total generated waste, the
rest lie on roadsides, open drains, low-
lying areas, orvacant lots
• More than 80% of the solid waste of
Dhaka city is organic in content which
has the potential to be used as
compost
SOLIDWASTE

29. SOLIDWASTE MANAGEMENT

30. • Arsenic is a white, semi-metallic powder
found in nature whose components are
highly toxic, can cause ulcer, cancer&
thickening of the skin
• Arsenic deposits have entered the
drinking water, entering the food
system, and cause various health
hazards
• Arsenic contamination in ground water
was first detected in 1993, 54 districts
are affected
ARSENIC CONTAMINATION IN
BANGLADESH

31. ARSENIC CONTAMINATION IN BANGLADESH

32. POPULATION GROWTH
32

33. Street View- Somewhere in
Australia
33

34. Street View- Somewhere in
Bangladesh
34

35. Population Growth
What do you think about future
population growth in
Bangladesh?
35

36. Demographic Profile of Bangladesh
Population: 166,280,712 (July 2014 est.)

37. Population Density
Population density: Population density is the
numberof people perunit of area ; 1,118.65 per
square kilometer

38. Population Growth Rate
growth rate: The average annual percent change in the
population 1.58 per thousand

39. Population and Environment
• The depletion of waterresources,
overfishing, degradation of arable
land, decimation of forests, and
alteration of natural cycles and
ecosystems are among the principal
concerns.

40. Environmental Pollution
Environmental Pollution and Bangladesh
 Bangladesh is apparently in the grips of all
sorts of environmental pollution & it is
increasing at an alarming rate
Environmental Pollution:
Bangladesh Perspective
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=f75TAvZohqs

41. Types of Pollution
 Airpollution
 Noise/sound pollution
 Waterpollution
 Soil pollution
 Thermal pollution
 Land degradation
 Natural Disaster
 Radiation pollution

42. AirPollution
 Air pollution adversely affects the
respiratory tract, causes eye irritation,
headache, fatigue, asthma, hypertension
and cardiac problem
 50 tons of lead are emitted annually in
Dhaka’s atmosphere, evidence of emission is
acute during dry season
 Dhaka is one of the highly polluted cities in
the world in terms of airpollution
 In urban area, automobiles & industrial
emissions cause air pollution, in rural area

43. Noise Pollution
 Noise pollution leads to
 Irritation and an increased blood pressure,
 Loss of temper,
 Decrease in workefficiency,
 Loss of hearing
 WHO(World Health Organization) has
prescribed optimumnoise level as 45 dBby day
and 35 dBby night. Anything above 80 dBis
hazardous
 WHOat 45 locations of Dhaka city, most of the
traffic points and many of the industrial,
residential, commercial, silent and mixed areas are

44. WaterPollution
 Addition orpresence of undesirable
substances in wateris called water
pollution
 All types of water borne disease are the
ultimate results of polluted water
 Due to water pollution, the life-cycle of
fish and other aquatic organism hamper
tremendously
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=1ZeY7AyfoqU

45. Sources of WaterPollution
• Unplanned use of pesticides and
inorganic chemicals
• Thermal pollution
• Industrial wastewaterdischarge
• Land degradation/riverband errosion
• Flood and othernatural calamities
and so on

46. Soil Pollution
• Addition of substances which adversely affect
the quality of soil or its fertility is known as soil
pollution
• Generally, polluted wateralso pollute soil
• Solid wastes that are the mixture of various
wastes are the primary cause of soil pollution
• Industrial wastes, fly ash and chemical from
agricultural sources are also potential sources
• Contribution of municipal wastes and land
fillings are the growing sources

47. Climate Change in
Bangladesh
“The most vulnerable
country to climate change
effect (USAID)”
47
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=glN9IKNmfaw

48. Scientific Basis of CC
 One of the greatest threats to the humanity
today
 Earlier it was perceived as an environmental
problem (GHG emission & temperature rise).
Now it is a developmental problem (poverty,
food/water, social securities, MDG/SDG
 United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCC) defines climate
change as the change resulting from long
term direct and indirect activities that
induces changes in the compared time which

49. Sources of GHGs & CO2
concentration
 Fossil fuel burning
 Industrialisaton and urbanisation
 Unsustainable production and
consumption
 Agriculture and forest depletion
 Household energy consumption
 Industrialised and rich countries are
mainly responsible forGHG emission

50. U.S.
186.1
European
Union
127.8
Russia
68.4
Ukraine
21.7
Poland
14.4
China
57.6
Japan
31.2
Australia
7.6
India
15.5
Kazakhstan
10.1
South Africa
8.5
Canada
14.9
Mexico
7.8
Trinidad and
Tobago
United
Arab
Emirate
s
Kuwait
Total CO2 emissions
Between 1950-2001 in billions of
tons
TIME magazine, 2001
US: 4% of world’s total population, 25% of the world’s
greenhouse gases
China: 25% of the world’s population, 8.5% of the world’s
greenhouse gases (since 1950)

51. Largest emitters country
Source: CRS Report for Congress, 2008
Per capita emissions of CO2 is less than 0.2 ton annually in Bangladesh,
compared to 1.6 tons in the developing countries.

52. The globally averaged surface temperature is
projected to increase by 1.4 to 5.8 ºC overthe
period 1990 to 2100.
Global mean sea level is projected to rise by 0.09
to 0.88 mbetween the years 1990 and 2100.
Glaciers and ice caps are projected to continue
theirwidespread retreat during the 21st
Century.
Dry season flows of riverwill shrinkin future.
There will be erratic behaviorof weather
Likely Impacts

53. Dry seasons will have less rainfall. There
will be an increase in irrigation water
demand
Forests will be affected as climate changes
and plants will need time to adjust
Flora and fauna and theirinter-relationship
will be in jeopardy. Many species will
disappear, many will face problems in
surviving
Drought tolerant, saline tolerant and
submergence tolerant varieties of crops will
be required to cope with
Likely Impacts…..

54. Likely Impacts ……
 Vulnerability to both flood and drought will
increase.
 Riverflooding may increase in duration. Flash
flooding will be more frequent. Short duration
rainfalls may create drainage congestions
specially in urban areas.
 A sea level rise of 0.5mby 2050 will cause low
lying coastal areas to go underwater. Small
island states may disappear.
 Frequency of tropical cyclones will increase.
Stormsurge depths will increase.

55. Climate Change in
Bangladesh
• Why is Bangladesh at high riskof
climate change?
– Geographic location;
– Flat and low-lying land;
– High population density (highest in the
world)
– Reliance of natural resources especially for
55

56. Intergovernmenta
l Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC)
Assessment about
Bangladesh
56

57. The impact of higher
temperatures, more
variable precipitation,
more extreme weather
events, and sea level rise
and will continue to
intensify.
Increased climate
change will cause
more intense floods,
draughts and storms.
Reduction in
crop yield
creating a very
high riskof
hunger.
Low riverflows and
increased evaporation
in the dry period will
reduce the amount of
fresh waterthat is
available.
The predicted sea-level rise
will threaten valuable coastal
agricultural land.
Predicted
temperature increase
will cause the melting
of glaciers in the
Himalayas.
Climate
Change and
Bangladesh
57

58. Sea level rise in different
height

59. Source: The Daily Star, 17th
January 2015
59

60. - Every year, rivers engulf enormous
agriculture fields and homesteads, making
people homeless
- Migration to urban areas and live in slum
underunhygienic conditions
Climate Refugee orMigration

61. Disaster Effect
61

62. Adaptation & Mitigation
• Adaptation:
– Human adjustment with the changing environment
– Bangladesh always put emphasis on adaptation
– Example: Preparing cyclone shelter, Raising the
base of the house, changing consumption pattern
• Mitigation:
– Taking structural and nonstructural measures to
prevent disasteri.e. reducing carbon dioxide
emission.
– There is huge scope forBangladesh regarding
mitigation 62

64. Adaptation
64

65. Adaptation
65

66. Adaptation
66

67. Mitigation Potentials for
Bangladesh
• Transport Sector:
– Railway: Increasing and strengthening rail
network.1 train = 50 trucks
– Waterway: Maintaining navigability of rivers.
Securing rivertransportation.
• Residential Sector:
– Gas metering:
• 3 million domestic userof gas
• Flat rate forgas consumption leading to gas
wastage
67

68. Mitigation Potentials for
Bangladesh
• Residential Sector:
– Improve cookstoves: ICS increasing energy
efficiency by 20%.
– SolarPV
• Industry Sector:
– Efficient technologies
– Brickkilns: German Hybrid Hoffman Kiln
(HHK) Technology reduces coal consumption
by 20-30%
68

69. Fig: saline tolerant
variety Boro
Fig: Coastal saline
area

70. Mitigation in
Picture
70

71. Solar Panels in Rural Shop
71

72. SolarPowered
Street Lights
in Dhaka.
72

75. ThankYou
75