The planet's critical ecosystem is yet to claim its rightful place in the collective consciousness of the peoples across the world. But the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) under the aegis of the UN has been observing the World Environment Day on June 5 each year since 1973. According to the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Earth Observatory, global temperature has risen by a little over1.0 degree Celsius since 1880 and two-thirds of the warming has taken place during the past five decades of the World Environment Day's tenure.
This clearly indicates the burgeoning world population's mindless exploitation of natural resources in the name of economic development and social progress. The past few years have witnessed the planet getting embroiled in extensive and deeper turmoil. There have been more and more extreme weather events ---some of those freakish and bizarre ---in several regions and pockets across the world.
The warning bell was sounded long ago, only more so for countries like Bangladesh experiencing natural calamities frequently and proving more vulnerable than others to climate change. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was adopted in 1994 with the objective of restoring lands, halting desertification and developing natural resilience to drought. The overriding compulsion was thrust on the humanity to arrest the all-round ill effects of its own rapacious actions.
According to the UNCCD, 40 per cent of the planet's land area has by now suffered degradation of varying degrees. Half of the world's population is suffering its consequences. It further claims that the number and intensity of droughts have increased by 29 per cent since 2000. If left unattended, it is sure to threaten lives and livelihoods of three-quarters of the world population. The UNCCD has identified clear indications of desertification in Bangladesh--- not only in its north-west region comprising Naogaon, Rajshai and Chapainababganj but, surprisingly, also in the coastal areas in the south. Some experts make even a direr prediction that desertification will take hold of the north-western region within two decades.
This gloomy picture becomes gloomier with the findings of a study carried out by the Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI). The findings concern the faster degradation of soil than previously thought. According to the SRDI, degradation of 'the physical, chemical and biological or economic properties of soil' is happening approximately to 270 sq km area---more or less the size of Dhaka city--- in the country annually.
These are bone-chilling revelations but the indifference to the damaging human habits and actions propelled by consumerism shows no sign of transformation into any urgent policy formulation, let alone actions. But the theme of this year's World Environment Day, "Our land. Our future. We are #GenerationRestoratrion" could not be more appropriate for the country. Bangladesh is a small geographical entity with a vast population. If its lands degrade at the rate the government study has found, there will be no cultivable land in the next 63 years, warns the chief scientific officer at the SRDI.
Now why these are happening is not quite unknown. According to an international scientific journal, the Padma has shrunk by 50 per cent in the lean season compared to 1984. Its water has become shallower by 17.8 per cent and flow reduced by 26.2 per cent. To add to the worsening condition, the supply of sweet water has dropped by as high as 90 per cent and in the Padma basin, annual rainfall has decreased by 19.2 per cent.
How water crisis has compounded the problem of drought and desertification has become clear from a survey carried out by the ministry of water resources in 2020. As many as 140 rivers in the country have either disappeared or about to disappear. The Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) confirms that 308 rivers have lost their navigability. Unplanned construction of infrastructure and encroachment of rivers, including illegal sand extraction, by land grabbers are responsible for the demise and decline of rivers. When lakes, rivers and wetlands hold 20-30 per cent of global carbon, the death and decay of rivers in Bangladesh have serious environmental ramification.
As a consequence underground water table has been falling by 0.75 metre to 1.0 metre in different regions. The northern region is witnessing the sharpest fall in its underground water table. This threatens to expedite its desertification process. True, people in Bangladesh have shown great interest in planting trees in recent times. But what has so far been achieved in terms of green cover is no replacement for the deforestation that had taken place in the earlier decades.
Admittedly, the present civilisation has misplaced priorities at a time when there was an overriding need for making peace with the planet's ecosystem. Even this small country has ample scope for restoring its physical and biological health. To that end, it will have to reclaim its rivers and give them as much flow back as humanly possible. Polythene has to be banned and use of plastic limited to the minimum with the provision for recycling. Chemical pollution from industrial effluent must be contained by making installation of effluent treatment plant mandatory. Thus soil and water bodies can be saved. Then an extensive programme for creation of forests and planting of trees in all vacant spaces must be executed. Failure to do so will not only jeopardise the nation's food security but also pose a danger to its very existence.
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