Shahariar Islam Sovon :
Bangladesh, one of the countries most vulnerable to the climate crisis, is grappling with a range of environmental issues that are having severe consequences on public health and the economy.
Rising sea levels, increased flooding, and air and water pollution are combining to create an escalating crisis for the nation’s population.
According to the World Bank’s Bangladesh Country Environmental Analysis (CEA), environmental factors such as air pollution, unsafe drinking water, poor sanitation, and exposure to lead result in over 272,000 premature deaths and 5.2 billion days of illness every year in the country. These environmental costs accounted for a staggering 17.6% of Bangladesh’s GDP in 2019, underscoring the significant economic burden of environmental degradation.
Among the most serious threats is air pollution, which is responsible for nearly 55% of all premature deaths related to environmental factors. The report found that household and outdoor air pollution contributed the largest share of these deaths. Household emissions, particularly from the use of solid fuels for cooking, have a disproportionate impact on women and children. These emissions are a major source of toxic air pollutants and can lead to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
The country’s rivers, essential to its livelihood, are facing significant degradation. A 2024 study has revealed alarming levels of heavy metal pollution in Bangladesh’s rivers, caused by industrial discharge and untreated waste. The study analyzed the presence of toxic heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, cadmium, and chromium in waterways over the past two decades. The results showed that 49% of the country’s drinking well water exceeds unsafe levels of arsenic, a carcinogenic substance.
In addition to arsenic contamination, untreated sewage and plastics are further polluting major rivers, contributing to a dangerous decline in water quality. This has made access to clean, safe water increasingly difficult, exacerbating public health risks and increasing the incidence of waterborne diseases.
The report also highlights that the climate crisis is making these environmental challenges even worse. Rising sea levels, which are expected to claim around 11% of the country’s land by 2050, are pushing more people into already overcrowded cities. Additionally, intensifying monsoon rains have caused floods that affect around 20% of the nation each year, displacing thousands of families and further stressing public infrastructure.
To address these dire environmental and public health concerns, experts are calling for urgent action. A combination of policies targeting air pollution control, improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems, and lead exposure reduction could prevent up to 133,000 premature deaths annually.
In response to the mounting crisis, Bangladesh’s Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to controlling river pollution. She emphasized that pollution from industries and businesses that harm the nation’s rivers will not be tolerated.
“Rivers belong to the people,” she said, adding that the government must protect the nation’s waterways despite the challenges posed by limited resources and the scale of the issue.
