Urban and Regional Planning URP

This is the author's seventh book on agricultural development and disaster management in Bangladesh. He draws upon his 35 years experience in the country to describe the causes and impacts of the floods which periodically ravage Bangladesh and to review the efforts made to mitigate the damage and suffering they cause. The three chapters in Part I provide background information on the physical environment.

Bangladesh is frequently defined by poverty, resource scarcity, over population, corruption and natural calamities. These are, of course, some conditions that need to be addressed in policy discussion for poverty eradication and overall progress of the country. But there are other factors beyond our boundaries building unavoidable conditions and threats, which eventually stand in the way of environmental safety and sustainable development. Bangladesh has stepped into the 21st century with all these conditions and threats already have profound impacts on our ecology, life and livelihood.

This book is based on the author's more than thirty years experience with soils and agricultural development in Bangladesh. It provides a systematic description of the country's soils, how they have formed and where they occur. It is intended for use as a university text-book and as a guide for agricultural, forestry and environmental officials and consultants on the characteristics and distribution of the soils which support the country's varied land use and ecological habitats.

Open water fisheries are major aquatic common property resources in Bangladesh. Fish, Water and People are three of the most important ingredients in the life of Bangladesh. Dr. M. Youssouf Ali is a leading fisheries biologist with over five decades of experience as a spokesman for fisheries development in Bangladesh. He critically analyses the trends in the development of agriculture, infrastructure and fisheries. It is a reflection on past experiences, present practices and future trends and threats to the valuable openwater ecosystem and its resources.