Abstract
Water is an essential element for human life but is being wasted and made unsafe due to anthropogenic activities and pollution. In Bangladesh, both surface water and groundwater are being polluted due to the rapid growth of urbanisation and industrialisation, and most importantly, arsenic contamination and industrial waste are affecting the potability of this natural resource. Bangladesh is a highly polluted country that faces a scarcity of clean water, despite having an abundance of water sources. This article presents a range of examples of existing environmental pollution in Bangladesh before focusing on water pollution and its causes and consequences. In addition, this article discusses how inefficient water management and poor law enforcement have failed to ensure environmental justice for the citizens of Bangladesh. Finally, this article concludes with observations about some ways forward to ensure water justice, enable access to clean water for all and achieve sustainable development in Bangladesh.
Highlights
IntroductionA couple of lines from the poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge remind us of the tragedy and torment of being in need of potable water yet having access only to water that is undrinkable or polluted
Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink. (ST Coleridge 1798)A couple of lines from the poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge remind us of the tragedy and torment of being in need of potable water yet having access only to water that is undrinkable or polluted
Rokon (2020) has criticised the Bangladesh water management system, noting that there are at least 18 different agencies engaged in river management, yet there is no single government institution or set of legal tools in Bangladesh to ensure the good health of the rivers
Summary
A couple of lines from the poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge remind us of the tragedy and torment of being in need of potable water yet having access only to water that is undrinkable or polluted. Water has enabled trade, commerce, innovation and progress (Lufkin 2017), but these economic developments have had environmental effects and consequences This has been evident in countries of the Global South that have suffered a growth in environmental problems (Goyes et al 2017). These problems have been the result of a combination of past colonial—and contemporary corporate—exploitation, failures of governance and regulation, and levels of poverty and education, all of which need to be addressed, meaning that industrial activity and growth have been prioritised over environmental conditions and sustainable development plans have been compromised (Machingura and Lally 2017; United Nations 2020).
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