Environmental Studies and Disaster Management

Groundwater has been the main source of water for drinking and irrigation. It is also the source of arsenic poisoning that affects millions of people in Bangladesh. Despite its importance, very little information is available in the public domain on this enigmatic resource. On the other hand, vast amounts of information exist in unpublished project reports and the like. For the first time, this book brings together the key elements of this work as well as presenting an up to date perspective on the problems and prospects for the future use of groundwater in Bangladesh.

Open water fisheries are major aquatic common property resources in Bangladesh covering over four million hectares. Around ten percent of the population of 120 million depend for their livelihoods on fisheries. Fish is the main source of animal protein, particularly for the poor. The wetlands of Bangladesh are an interplay of social, environmental, resource management and developmental concerns. There are conflicting demands on the wetlands.

People's Report on Bangladesh Environment 2001 is a pioneering attempt at capturing environmental perception of the citizens of the country. The Report focuses on people's livelihood and liberty; their land, food security and other basic rights; their aspiration for quality governance and equity; their struggle for survival with dignity and creativity. It ably puts people first and brings them at the centre stage of decision-making process on environmental management.

A range of vulnerabilities and an unfulfilled potential for development are the main features of the coastal belt in the southeastern part of Bangladesh. On a day-to-day basis the people living on the coastal belt have to address vulnerabilities as diverse in nature as drainage congestion and the salinity of the soil constraining agricultural yields, cyclones and storms that pose risks to lives and property. Additionally, a heterogeneous social environment with undue influence of well positioned land grabbers can make life and living difficult.