Environment and Climate
Marine pollution: An alarming threat for South Asian littoral states
Marine pollution on land and in oceans is currently a pressing environmental issue around the globe. The accumulation of waste causes severe, irreversible impacts and consequences on marine life, ecosystems, and the environment due to the lack of good waste collection, treatment, and management systems.
How Cyclone Dana was named from Arabic
The poem by the poet Jibanananda Das seems unrelated yet profoundly relevant here. The poet grew up in a region where cyclones have repeatedly shattered people's dreams and claimed lives. Yet, no matter how many times calamity strikes, humanity rises again with its inherent strength.
Bodies set adrift due to lack of dry burial grounds
In 2024, the people of Feni witnessed the worst flood in living memory. The sudden onslaught of this flood was unimaginable for the residents of Feni. The destructive nature of the flood extended beyond Feni, affecting the surrounding districts as well. Torrential rains and water surging down from the mountains caused the floodwaters to rise, submerging the roofs of houses in the Parshuram, Phulgazi, and Chhagalnaiya upazilas of Feni. With electricity and all forms of communication cut off, these areas were isolated from the rest of the country. In remote regions where rescue teams could not reach due to the fierce currents, people clung to tree branches, tin roofs, house tops, and rafts made of banana trees in desperate attempts to survive. The elderly, children, women, the sick, and pregnant women faced unimaginable suffering.
Will devote all my strength to protect the environment
In Bangladesh, and indeed anywhere in the world, the journey of change is never easy. I am well aware that we will have to fight against many adversities, just as we have done before. In a country like ours, where the indicators of the rule of law are quite low, the task is certainly risky. However, we are confident that we can overcome these risks because we have the support of the mainstream population. Alongside the backing of a large number of people and the mainstream media, the international community is also watching over us. We want to confront these challenges with the strength we derive from the people. My goal is to set an example by taking effective measures to control various forms of pollution.
Bangladesh's Economy to pay high prices due to climate change
In recent times, the most widely discussed and important topic globally is climate change. It can be said that this is the biggest challenge of the 21st century. As climate change increasingly has adverse effects on biodiversity, it has become a matter of concern for us. Extensive research is also being conducted on this issue. Climate naturally undergoes some changes due to natural causes. However, the extent to which temperatures are now rising is primarily due to human activities. Since humans started burning oil, gas, and coal to operate factories and vehicles or to heat homes in winter, the Earth's temperature has increased by 1.2 degrees Celsius compared to that time. The amount of carbon dioxide, one of the primary greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, has increased by 50 percent compared to the 19th century. In the last two decades, it has increased by 12 percent. Deforestation also contributes to the rise in greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere, as trees absorb carbon. As a result, when trees are cut down or burned, the stored carbon is released into the atmosphere. To live healthily in any region, a healthy and clean environment is essential. The impact of the environment on our overall lives is immense.
To survive, we must combat environmental desertification
For the past two decades, unusual weather patterns have been observed worldwide. Where once there used to be cries for a drop of water in the scorching deserts, now the deserts are witnessing rainfall, painting the landscape green. Conversely, the opposite scenario is visible in the Indian subcontinent and Europe. Most areas in South Asia, including Bangladesh, now experience severe heatwaves during the summer. While Europe, which used to be predominantly cold, is facing intense heatwaves for the most part of the year. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has recently warned in a published report that if global temperatures are not reduced soon, South Asia, including Bangladesh, could suffer catastrophic consequences. The entire region could be engulfed by desertification.
What will be the major catastrophe for future Bangladesh
To believe the news that water has entered inside our house in the city of Jhalokathi, I have to remain silent for quite some time. Then, I start calling countless people one by one, including my father, mother, uncles, aunts, and cousins. Everyone's phone is either switched off or showing 'unable to connect'. Suddenly, a call goes through to my younger uncle's phone. He is also surprised at how I managed to reach him on his phone!
Shahid Anwara Park: Give back that woodland
A group of environmentally conscious individuals stood with numerous placards bearing various slogans and demands under the busy Farmgate Metro Station in the capital. Announcement was made at this event last Saturday (May 18th) evening that if the Dhaka North City Corporation, the Department of Public Works, and the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) authorities do not remove the metro rail installations from here within 30 days and if no initiative is taken to restore Anwara Udyan to its previous state, then a call for a rigorous protest will be made.
Dangers of lightning in Bangladesh and protective measures
After a severe heatwave, the rain brought not relief but the terror of lightning strikes. Whenever there is rain and a storm, reports of multiple fatalities due to lightning strikes surface. On April 23, in a single day, nine people lost their lives to lightning in six upazilas of eastern Bangladesh. Subsequently, on April 27, eight people died from lightning strikes in six districts in one day. On May 18, in a single day, lightning claimed the lives of seven people in three districts. From morning to noon on that day, four people died in Narsingdi, two in Tangail, and one in Gazipur due to lightning during rain. Previously, on the same date, May 18, in 2022, 19 people died in a single day from lightning strikes across the country. We face such devastating lightning incidents every year, but why has the frequency of lightning strikes increased? And how can we protect ourselves from it?
Won't rickshaw pullers be evaluated for their role in reducing carbon emissions
When a car's wheel turns, it emits approximately 162.1 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer. But when the wheel of the rickshaw turns, there is no carbon emission. In our city, Dhaka, there are approximately twelve lakh rickshaws plying the narrow alleys. It's challenging to determine how many kilometers each of these vehicles travels daily. However, it's relatively easy to estimate the amount of carbon dioxide emitted from burning petrol in Dhaka if rickshaws were not present. But are rickshaw pullers given any incentives to reduce carbon emissions? They are not. But why?
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