Running head: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY: THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
Annotated Bibliography
The Environmental Problems, Causes and Solutions in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Kazi Rahma
Purdue University
Author's Note
Kazi Rahma, College Of Engineering, First Year Engineering Student
English 106I Paper
Professor Kyongson Park
Purdue University
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ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY: THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
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Hassan, S. Problems of municipal waste management in Bangladesh: An inquiry into its nature.
Habitat International (Pages 191-202)
This article addresses the different kinds of pollution on the streets of Dhaka city, the
capital of Bangladesh, and the causes of such unclean streets and sidewalks. The
Bangladeshi government has made different smaller groups which are responsible for
maintaining the system of removal, collecting and disposal of waste, and cleaning and
maintenance of public streets. However, the system has become less effective due to the
constraint of resources. As a result, the city is facing menacing threats from the increased
levels of pollution.
The municipal does not only contain domestic waste but also industrial and commercial
waste. The population density of the Dhaka is 115000 people per square mile and the
municipal waste in Dhaka city is about 350 grams per person per day, and this rate is
increasing with time. The major constituents of waste are organic and compostable waste.
These waste come from the citizens' houses, the leather industries situated in a particular
residential area of the city and from other industries which dump their waste on the
nearby street. There are garbage cans but they are not sufficient for such a huge of
population. The statistics says that there is one bin for 1375 people producing more than
480 kilograms of waste per day. Hence, these bins overflow with waste as a result of
which people throw waste outside the bins and litter the surrounding areas. The rubbish
lies there for days until the collectors collect them and throw them in a dumpster which is
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also open. There are collectors who scavenge for recyclables which make them look for
recyclables in the unhealthy environments of the dumpsters.
Unplanned growth and urbanization of the city has lead to ever increasing problems.
Industries and households throw garbage in the vicinity of their residence polluting the
areas. The drainage system is also not efficient. Human excreta and dirty water clog the
drains adjacent to the buildings. Consequently, the smell and gas from these drains are
unbearable to the pedestrians. It is worse during the rainy season when the flood waters
mix with the over flowing drains and the streets gets covered in waste. The residents of
the houses do not take the responsibility of cleaning the drains of their buildings. They
consider it as an inferior job and let the collectors be the victims of such careless
attitudes. Furthermore, public urination is another problem. There is severe lack of public
toilets which results in people urinating in the alleys and quite sidewalks. This also adds
to the problem of unclean streets and sidewalks.
These problems cannot be solved without more attention of the government. The
government needs to do its bit and increase the facilities for better waste management.
This will make the citizens more aware and force them to take responsibilities for
cleanliness. The government and citizens should work together to make Dhaka more
habitable.
Samiul Hassan has done extensive research on this topic and written this paper. This is
also written from personal experience as well as people's reviews.
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Mulamoottil, G. Hassan, S. Environmental Problems of Dhaka City: A Study of
Mismanagement. Cities (Pages 195-200).
In this article the authors speak about the causes and solutions of the primary
environmental problems in Dhaka city. The waste in Dhaka city is not managed properly
which results in hazardous street conditions. These wastes contain mainly decomposable
material, wastes from livestock, domestic waste, and industrial waste along with
everyday rubbish that people throw. However, one major occurrence of waste is happens
during a holy festival in Dhaka, Eid- ul-Azha. Cattles are slaughtered for offering on the
streets and their blood stay on the streets for days which give off an unbearable smell.
Moreover, their livers and stomachs are left to rot on the sidewalks. This issue
deteriorates the problem of dirty streets and sidewalks.
Polyethylene grocery bags add to the problem. Their use has increased due to easy
carriage. However, these have a detrimental effect on the environment. These nonbiodegradable polyethylene bags clog the drains and blocks the water drainage system.
By the time the collectors clean the drains, the surrounding areas has already been
polluted.
Among the possible solutions to reduce these threats are sanitation and control of the
environmental pollution, removal, collection and disposal of wastes and prevention of
infectious disease. Provision of proper drainage and slaughterhouses will also help solve
the problems. The government should also ensure proper cleaning system of the streets.
When the garbage is being carried to the dumpster by trucks after they have been
collected from the bins, the trucks should not be open in order to prevent the light rubbish
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from falling on the streets. Definite environmental policy and planning along with public
assistance can help to reduce the threat on Dhaka city.
This article is a credible source of information as both the authors are well educated on
this matter and have written from personal experience. Both of them are professors of the
renowned universities which allowed them to do more research on the topic and come up
with better feasible solutions.
Negev, M. Garb, Y. Biller, R. Sagy, G. & Tal, A. (2009) Environmental Problems, Causes, and
Solutions: An Open Question. The Journal of Environmental Education.
In this article the authors have conducted a survey to find out the main causes of the
environmental problems and their possible solutions. This article is related to my research
paper in which I address the problem in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which arise due to the
primary levels of pollution for example the solid waste. Hence, this article has important
information which can help me in my research paper.
According to the authors the solid waste mismanagement occurs mainly because of the
general public's behavior and their lack of care about the environment. However, the
severity of the problem can be reduced if the government takes proper initiatives. There
are several ways in which this can be one. Among the effective solutions would be
imposition of strict laws to prevent people from littering. If people break the laws then
they will be penalized financially. Another method is to raise public awareness through
media, posters and activities, for example school cleaning day of streets. Different NGOs
and some private organizations can lend a hand in spreading the message to the public as
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well. Furthermore, the government can provide adequate garbage bins and maintain the
garbage cleaning system in a better way. Even though the public is responsible for the
major part of the pollution of the streets and sidewalks, it is the government's duty to
make people follow the rules and bring the level of pollution to a minimum.
The authors of this article are experienced and they have studied several other similar
surveys and compared the statistics. This article is full of credible statistics which
supports the general views on the possible solutions of the primary levels of pollution.
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References
Hassan, S. Problems of municipal waste management in Bangladesh: An inquiry into its nature.
Habitat International (Pages 191-202)
Mulamoottil, G. Hassan, S. Environmental Problems of Dhaka City: A Study of
Mismanagement. Cities (Pages 195-200).
Negev, M. Garb, Y. Biller, R. Sagy, G. & Tal, A. (2009) Environmental Problems, Causes, and
Solutions: An Open Question. The Journal of Environmental Education.