A new World Bank report reveals that Bangladesh faces severe pollution and environmental health risks, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable populations, including the poor, children under five, the elderly, and women. The Bangladesh Country Environmental Analysis (CEA) outlines that air pollution, unsafe water, poor sanitation and hygiene, and lead exposure cause over 272,000 premature deaths and 5.2 billion days of illness annually. These environmental issues cost Bangladesh an equivalent of 17.6 percent of its GDP in 2019.
Household and outdoor air pollution are the most detrimental, leading to nearly 55 percent of premature deaths and costing 8.32 percent of GDP in 2019. “For Bangladesh, addressing environmental risks is both a development and an economic priority,” said Abdoulaye Seck, Country Director for Bhutan and Bangladesh. “We have seen around the world that when economic growth comes at the cost of the environment, it cannot sustain. But it is possible to grow cleaner and greener without growing slower.”
Children are particularly affected by environmental pollution. Lead poisoning is causing irreversible damage to children’s brain development, resulting in an estimated annual loss of nearly 20 million IQ points. Household emissions from cooking with solid fuels are a major source of air pollution, affecting women and children. Major rivers in Bangladesh have experienced a severe decline in water quality due to industrial discharge and unmanaged waste, including plastics and untreated sewage.
Timely interventions for air pollution control, improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), and control of lead exposure could prevent over 133,000 premature deaths per year. Investments in cleaner power generation, clean cooking fuels, and stricter controls on industrial emissions can help reduce air pollution.
“With timely and the right set of policies and actions, Bangladesh can reverse its environment degradation trend,” said Ana Luisa Gomes Lima, World Bank Senior Environmental Specialist and co-author of the report. “Strengthening and enforcing environmental regulations, coupled with investments and other incentives for clean cooking, scaling up green financing, setting up efficient carbon markets, and raising awareness, can help reduce pollution and achieve green growth in Bangladesh.”
The report identifies environmental priorities, assesses interventions, and includes recommendations to strengthen governance and institutional capacity for environmental management. Bangladesh can protect its environment by setting evidence-based priorities, diversifying and strengthening environmental policy instruments, strengthening institutional capacity, and building an enabling environment for green financing.
Source: World Bank
