Let\'s be more close to the nature

This year people observing the World Environment Day with a call to establish closer connection with nature and keep the planet inhabitable. Saving the natural world and keeping the environment friendly to human habitation is also a motto of observing the day every year. Bangladesh like in the past also observing the day this year aiming  at creating awareness among the people for protecting natural resources including the forest and wildlife.
Featuring a flood plain landscape Bangladesh, having an area of 144,000 square kilometers, the country also have several river systems. Bangladesh is situated in the downstream to almost inside the Bay of Bengal and faces several environmental issues which include metal contamination of groundwater, salinity, and cyclones and flooding in increased numbers. Being one of the most vulnerable countries, the impacts of climate change have exaggerated the environmental problems.
Bangladesh has hundreds of rivers across the country with major rivers mainly originated from the Himalaya. The country has 54 common rivers with India and three with Myanmar. These transboundary rivers depend on upper stream for water. In the recent years India has diverted water of various rivers through river linking project and blocked water in its part in the name of navigability of its own rivers. Besides, the country has allegedly obstructed water of various rivers through building dam and withdrawn water for irrigation in the upper reaches which has resulted in drying up of over a hundred rivers in Bangladesh.
The water withdrawal by India has caused immense environmental degradation in Bangladesh as rivers have dried up. The natural species which lives in river water also face destruction due the lack of water. Agriculture activities in various parts of the country have also been disrupted seriously in the absence of water. Livelihood of hundreds of thousands of people -- the farmers, the boatmen, and the fishermen -- now faces severe challenges and many were forced to change their age old professions.
The water controlling of trans-boundary rivers by upper riparian counties have not only dried up lower riparian Bangladesh, but also flooded the country for untimely release of water. A flash flood in April this year, caused due to sudden water release by India, brought disaster in Bangladesh's haor regions, located in north eastern area of the country.
The havoc destroyed seasonal boro crops of thousands of hectares of lands, perished tonnes of fishes and ducks, pushing thousands of people into the poverty line. People of the area are now leading inhuman life in the absence of necessary foods. The flora and fauna of the haor districts died of contaminated water which reportedly came from the upstream. Degradation of environment was observed in the area posing health hazard and making the area uninhabitable.
Though the government claims to be concerned over environmental issues its recent activities found to be contrary to its position. The government is setting up a coal-fired power plant in Rampal area, close to the world heritage site the Sunderbans, defying appeal from home and abroad not to establish the plant there. Environmentalists have expressed grave concern that pollution from the power plant will destroy the world's largest mangrove forest and the flora and fauna of adjacent area. People won't be able to leave in the area and face various hazards.  However, the government has hardly paid any heed to the appeal and criticism.
When global call is there for massive forestation to offset the impacts of climate change Bangladesh is moving to the opposite direction. Vast forests are being destroyed for human settlement and industrialisation. The replenishment  of forest is very nominal compared to its destruction. In Dhaka city, the capital of Bangladesh, a good number of parks are now vanished.  In Narayanganj district the government for building a large settlement, some 30 kilometres from capital Dhaka, has acquired some 1,600 acres of land of natural forests and crop land. Besides, other government agencies are destroying reserved forests. Environmentalists criticise the government for its controversial role. When Bangladesh needs more and more forestation it has been cutting a lot of trees in the name of human settlement.
Groundwater contamination has turned out to be another major concern for Bangladesh. Many heavy metals including arsenic, lead, copper, cadmium have been detected found in ground water in excessive quantities. Arsenic reportedly has contaminated 49 per cent groundwater affecting a large number of population. The ground water contamination has become a severe health hazard for people.
The impacts of climate change are already visible in Bangladesh with coastal areas of the country are being hit by increased number of disastrous events including cyclone, floods, storm surge, salinity intrusion, and droughts. The people living in coastal districts have become vary vulnerable to the natural hazards.
In Bangladesh salinity also has become a major concern especially for coastal districts. The saline water enters the lands and ponds during cyclone and storm surges, causing the lands to loss their capacity to produce crops while sources of drinking water become polluted. Due to excessive salinity in the lands, the farmers' loss crops frequently which further weaken them financially alongside threatening food security. In most of the coastal districts farmers can produce rice once a year. When a farmer losses crop one time a year, he has no option but to starve with family members.  The increased number of cyclones and storms have strongly affected the other profession-fishing-of coastal people as staying in the sea has become high risky for life while fishes becoming unavailable day-by-day. A study carried out by Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (CSRL) found that in last 30 years  the intensity and frequency of storms had increased by three times.
Temperature rise to some extent every year has become a common phenomenon in Bangladesh nowadays. The summer has become hotter and long while low rainfall has become a routine affair. With this trend drought is hitting the country frequently. Hectares of lands remain uncultivated every year due to the lack of water.       
Environmental pollution is also talking tolls. In the industrial areas the rivers and ponds are highly contaminated with chemicals. For example, the Buriganga river water is highly polluted with waste matter discharged from the capital city and from various industrial units including the tanneries in Hazaribagh area. The air quality in Bangladesh is also extremely unhealthy caused by industrial smog and burning coal in brick kilns. Dhaka ranked 44th among the cities monitored by World Health Organisation's in terms of fine particle pollution.
To keep the planet, as well as Bangladesh, inhabitable the environmental sustainability matters. We do not have the capacity in controlling natural disasters, but we can take both adaptation and mitigation measures. We can stop destroying forests, go for more massive tree plantation, take steps to prevent contamination of water sources, reduce air pollution by stopping burning coals, and go for using renewable energies instead of fossil fuels to prevent environmental pollution. We have to be increasingly connected to the nature more closely.
The writer is a Senior Reporter of The Financial Express.
E-mail: syful-islam@outlook.com