Death of river's will lead to death of our cities

It would not be an exaggeration to state that encroachment and pollution of the five rivers surrounding the capital now threaten the very existence of Dhaka city, and with it jeopardise the future of our economy. We would like to draw a direct link between the country's growth prospect and livability of the capital city, which in its turn is directly linked with the existence of the rivers that surround it. Dhaka already has a population that makes its one of the most crowded metropolis in the world. In not to distant a future it will become one of the biggest mega-cities in the world. Fresh water supply will be a crucial issue for such a city and failing to provide it will lead to intense civic unrest and related social instability. No investment, both domestic and foreign, is likely to occur in cities or areas where fresh water supply cannot be guaranteed.
Not only of Dhaka city, but rivers around the country are being filled up or being encroached upon in a manner that is threatening the very existence of human habitation. Very soon, the land grabbers will have gobbled up most of the rivers leaving a barren country greatly increasing the impact of flooding in the wet season and increasing the possibility of desertification of specific areas during the dry season.
Hidden behind the issue of saving our rivers is the concern of supply of fresh water for drinking, cooking and normal livelihood needs that relate to public health issues. According to reports, 80 percent people suffer from jaundice, skin diseases or diarrhoea in the watershed areas.
As rivers around Dhaka got polluted we became more and more dependent on ground water as a source of drinking water. It is reported that presently 86 percent of WASA's drinking water comes from ground water. Due to widespread urbanisation the replenishment of the ground water is not occurring as before as a result of which the ground water level is falling between 1-3 metres every year.
It is our view that the destruction of rivers in Bangladesh, especially those surrounding Dhaka city, has reached a stage so as to pose a threat to our nation's future and as such should be treated a national security concern.
Now is the time for all of us, the public in general, the government, political parties, professional bodies and the civil society to work together to save our rivers, and thus save ourselves.

Emergency climate change of Bangladesh

As one of the countries most seriously affected by climate change and natural disasters, Bangladesh has been forced to be resourceful and resilient. Without outside help, however, the country of 160 million will not have the capacity to address climate-related environmental changes as their severity and frequency increase. The United States should augment its focus on adaptation measures when providing the South Asian nation with aid.

In October, Bangladesh, Denmark, and the World Bank agreed to a plan that will make COP15, the UN's December 2009 climate change conference, completely climate neutral. Denmark, aiming to offset the emissions generated by the international conference, will distribute approximately 1 million dollars to Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital city. In recognition of Bangladesh's tremendous vulnerability to climate change, Denmark has allocated this money to replace the country's brick factories, which emit thousands of tons of carbon dioxide every year. Cleaner, more efficient factories will take their place.

A Disaster-Prone Nation: Although the efforts of the Danish government will have a positive affect on Bangladesh's environment, they are just one small step toward minimizing the disastrous effects of global warming on the developing nation. Bangladesh cannot take on the larger task itself. It has no choice but to look to the international community for assistance. With both humanitarian obligations and security interests in Bangladesh, the United States must help provide it with the resources and support needed to combat climate change, especially as the frequency and severity of natural disasters in the country increase.

The frequent occurrence of natural disasters in Bangladesh is not a new phenomenon. Floods, cyclones, and earthquakes have been realities of life for the people of this low-lying, impoverished county since its formation. In fact, the 1970 cyclone played a major role in the creation of the Bangladeshi state, as frustrated West Bengalis—still citizens of Pakistan—lashed out against the Pakistani government after its slow and ineffective response to the disaster. In 1991 Cyclone Gorky killed more than 130,000 Bangladeshis and left some 10 million homeless. In addition to occasional cyclones that ravage the country, monsoon rains regularly inundate 2060 percent of Bangladesh every year. These natural calamities seem to have an ever-present role in Bangladeshi life.

The Unique Threat: The resilient Bangladeshi people have always coped with the effects of extreme weather patterns and environmental conditions not related to climate change. Arsenic-contaminated groundwater, for example, is a serious problem that is exacerbated by climate change. Bangladesh's proximity to sea level is another natural condition that increases its vulnerability to the effects of global warming. The frequency and severity of these natural disasters, however, are rapidly escalating because of climate change. Because Bangladesh is both low-lying and densely populated, the impacts of climate.