Home ›› 05 Jun 2022 ›› Front
The country’s total annual economic loss due to the loss of working days for illness caused by the environmental pollution is Tk 3.25 lakh crore, a new study has found.
The findings have been revealed at a time when Bangladesh is observing the World Environment Day 2022 in the country like elsewhere in the globe today with the theme of ‘Only One Earth’.
Change Initiative, a non-profit environmental organisation, conducted the study based on the survey titled “A National Youth Survey 2022 on Environmental Pollution and Promotion” from May 27 to June 2 this year across the country.
As many as 1,023 people, aged between 15 and 35 (the country’s 35 per cent population is in the age bracket), participated in the survey.
According to the study, on an average, every youth or his/her family member remains absent in their own educational institutions and workplaces for 17 days in a year due to sickness caused by different types of pollution.
The loss of working days stands at Tk 3.25 lakh crore when converted into money. Moreover, Tk 10,587 is spent as medical cost for every youth or his/her family member annually on an average, according to the study.
“The country’s economic loss could be far more if we chose respondents of all ages as all the households do not have young people. This calculation was done taking into consideration the households where there was at least a young individual,” M Zakir Hossain Khan, executive director of Change Initiative, told The Business Post on Saturday.
According to the survey, 35.8 per cent respondents mentioned air pollution as the most prevalent while 25.4 per cent pointed out water, 24.5 per cent mentioned noise, 12.2 per cent observed soil and 2.1 per cent pointed out other types of pollution as the most prevalent of illness.
Some 19.2 per cent, the highest number of youths, identified unfit vehicle is the top air polluter while 17.9 per cent respondents pointed out unpaved broken road, 14.7 per cent mentioned various types of construction work, 13.7 per cent identified waste including household waste and 11.1 per cent observed factory smoke as the top pollutant.
Some 19.8 per cent, the highest number of respondents, identified household waste as the top water pollutant while 36.81 per cent, the highest number of youths, identified polythene waste as the top soil pollutant.
“Young people have changed our perception about the acuteness of different types of pollution and its sources,” Zakir said.
“For example, the authorities are saying brick fields are the main air pollutant but, according to the youth group, it is not in the top five sources of air pollution. We should give importance to their thinking,” Zakir added.
Mostafizur Rahman, associate professor of the Department of Environmental Sciences at Jahangirnagar University, said, “Most of the people are exposed to air pollution as each person inhales 9-10 litres of air in a minute. If the air becomes polluted, public health will deteriorate.”
He said, “Most types of illness we fall into are caused by pollution. And, thus the study result has rightly pointed out the causes of the illness.”
Lack of awareness, law enforcement, legal infrastructure and inactiveness of local government are behind the uncontrolled environment pollution, the study points out.
The highest number of respondents advocated the promotion of green entrepreneurship that can reshape the environment by reducing pollution.
The study, however, recommends for collateral and interest free loans towards green entrepreneurs, the establishment of green tribunal, introduction of carbon tax and polluter pay principle, activation of anti-polythene rules and regulations, and exemplary action against polluters and encroachers.
