Database - United Nations in Bangladesh

Climate 181
Table 10.3.4 Main Areas of Environmental Concern and their Major Problems
Sl. No. Area Major Problems
1 Mahananda Basin Frequently flooded, also subject to droughts.
2 West-central Barind Being desiccate through improper land-use. Low water-table and poor soils
affect crop, agriculture.
3 Middle Karatoa floodplain Affected by drying-up of Karatoa river. Double-cropping of HYV rice has led
to severe Sulphur and Zinc deficiencies.
4 Brahmaputra-Jamuna Entire stretch affected by Brahmaputra Right Bank embankment, which has
floodplain
breached 4 out of the last 5 years. The main river may be shifting westwards.
Large floating population in the charlands. Sand-deposits after floods
often ruin cultivable land.
5 Chalan Beel One of the richest wetland areas of Bangladesh, now almost ruined by FCDI
projects.
6 Atrai-Hurasagar drainage basin Due to construction of ill-conceived embankments and regulators, drainage
has been impeded and water-logging has become a serious problem.
7 South west Jessore This area is climatically subject to wide variations in rainfall and temperature.
Due to reduced flow in the Ganges in the dry season, salinity has increased
and freshwater flow has decreased.
8 Northern Khulna Large-scale shrimp farming has increased salinity and created farmer conflicts
and reduced rice production.
9 Khulna City and Mongla town Problem area due to industrial pollution, oil spills from ships, and urban
congestion.
10 Sunderbans Increased salinity, increasing amounts of ship oil, industrial chemicals etc. has
led to the top-dying of several species of trees. There has also been over cutting
of the forest for industrial use.
11 Patuakhali-Bhola-Noakhali Char Water-logging, salinity, and diluvian.
areas
12 Garo Hills Piedmount Erosion, flash floods and loss of tree cover has led to decreasing agricultural
productivity
13 Tangail Silting of rivers and increase in sudden flooding.
14 Madhupur Tract Deforestation and improper use of sloping land has led to topsoil erosion.
15 Sitalakhya River Industrial plants at Ghorashal, Palash and Demra discharge toxic chemicals
into this river causing loss of fisheries and creation of hazard for public health.
16 Dhaka City Industrial pollution; urban expansion destroying class-1 agricultural land and
some of the best horticultural land in the country.
17 Haor basin Reduction in fish spawning areas.
18 South Sylhet Affected by deforestation, flash floods, and soil erosion.
19 Lalmai Range Deforestation, erosion, and soil removal.
20 Lower Meghna Affected by floods, erosion, stagnant productivity, loss of fisheries, and
population pressure.
21 Central Noakhali Water-logging in the wet season due to impeded drainage, lack of irrigation
supply in dry season due to salinity of the groundwater. Decreasing
agricultural productivity, increasing population.
22 Sandwip Thickly populated island are being eroded rapidly. New land formations not
consolidated. Frequently affected by cyclone surges.
23 Sitakunda range Affected by deforestation, erosion, loss of productivity by losing major source
of thatching grass and therefore urgently requires Land-use Planning.
24 Chittagong City and Port Industrial pollution, oil spills, cutting down of hills leading to increasing erosion
and consequently silting of rivers.
[Contd.]