Bangladesh towards green growth: a review of environmental sustainability indicators

Abstract

Pursuing green growth is crucial for Bangladesh to transition from an unsustainable economic trajectory to a more sustainable and inclusive one. Bangladesh is picked for this study because of impending and severe economic and environmental threats. This study intends to review the present scenario of various environmental sustainability-related indicators in Bangladesh, focusing on renewable energy consumption, freshwater resources, water productivity, CO2 emissions, energy intensity, air pollution, and natural resource rents. The World Bank database has been utilized to obtain secondary time series data of Bangladesh spanning from 2000 to 2020. As a descriptive study, cross-sectional and observational research methods as well as descriptive statistics and figures are used to elucidate the secondary data. Data demonstrate that Bangladesh now generates 41.16% of its energy from renewables, despite considerable variability. Regardless of the variation in freshwater availability, averaging at 708.19 cubic meters per capita, efficient water productivity remains consistent, indicating a robust water management system. The country demonstrates a relatively low carbon footprint, emitting 0.35 metric tons of CO2 per capita, alongside varying energy intensity levels, highlighting the need for enhanced efficiency measures. While pervasive PM2.5 air pollution poses a significant health risk, Bangladesh's reliance on natural resource rents underscores the importance of sustainable resource management practices for long-term economic stability. The observations of this study might assist in the formulation of policies of water management systems, air pollution control initiatives, and conservation of ecology to promote Bangladesh's long-term sustainability objectives and formulate policies.