Development can not be sustainable by destroying the environment
Zeba Tarunnum
Unplanned urbanization and industrialization and arbitrary use of natural resources, lack of environmental awareness, and lack of proper surveillance are destroying nature and biodiversity.
Development can not be sustainable by destroying life, nature, and the environment. Development activities can be conducted to keep the environment safe by proper planning and political perseverance.
Experts have expressed such views in a planning dialogue titled ‘Planning to Restore Ecology’ on the online platform. Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) organized this dialogue.
Professor Adil Muhammad Khan, Planner, General Secretary of BIP, presented an article on environmental disasters published in Bangladesh at different times.
BIP conducted 100 case studies to analyse the cause of the destruction of biodiversity and ecology. Out of which, water pollution (42), deforestation (17), air pollution (29), soil pollution, plastic pollution (8), and other pollution (8) were reviewed.
Akhtar Mahmud, the Planner, BIP President, said, we need to be sensitive to the environment, and development activities should be carried out with care for the environment.
In all development policies, the environment should be given importance and no wrong decision should be taken regarding the environment. Besides, we need to move forward with planning and development by keeping the global goals for sustainable development in mind.
Abir-ul-Jabbar, Chief Planning Officer at the Khulna City Corporation, blamed the lack of coordination between various organizations in protecting the ecology and environment. At the same time, there is a lack of a master plan in waste management and awareness among the public, he commented.
The planner also spoke about the recent efforts, restoration of the canal in Khulna to protect the environment, increase playgrounds, parks, open spaces, and planting trees every year, and discouraging the use of fossil fuels for encouraging the use of the solar system.
Maqsud Hashem, the Chief Town Planner of Dhaka North City Corporation, said, lack of understanding of plan and coordination is the main reason behind the failure to implement the plans adopted to protect the environment.
Due to lack of ownership, city and regional plans adopted at different times are not implemented. He also commented, as household wastewater drainage networks in different cities are not separated, the water of rivers and canals is being polluted. He also mentioned the special plan of Dhaka North City Corporation to protect the rivers and canals of Dhaka.
Mentioning, the implementation of the plan to protect the environment of Rajshahi city, Azmiree Asrafi, town planner of Rajshahi City Corporation, said, to prevent water pollution, improvement of integrated waste management and drainage systems, and to prevent air pollution, to keep 42% of allocated land for agricultural and tree planting inspiration of every organization, and land use plans are adopted.
Due to this, in terms of environmental standards, Rajshahi city is in a good environmentally friendly position.
Besides, he thinks it is very important to unite all the organizations and people at all levels for the implementation of the plan. He commented, if the necessity and importance of a master plan can reach everyone then the implementation of the master plan would be easier.
