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Major Environmental Issues and Problems of South Asia, Particularly Bangladesh

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Handbook of Environmental Materials Management

Abstract

South Asia covers diversified climatic zones and experiences an array of climate change impacts. Human pressures together with changing hydrology and land resources have distinct impact on the production of food grain and resilience of ecosystems. The most threatened areas are grasslands and mountain forest ecosystems of the Himalayas and ecosystems of the Sundarbans. Forests of South Asia having most biologically diverse ecosystems on the planet are destroyed due to rapid deforestation and urbanization. Moreover, the South Asia partake the worst air pollution in the world, and it is maximum in India. Thar Desert is extending at a rate of 100 ha per year which may cause damage to approximately 13,000 ha of cultivated lands and pastures in India and Pakistan. Availability of freshwater is highly seasonal in this region, and water supplies become more threatened by higher temperatures, changes in river regimes, and greater incidence of coastal flooding. This article discusses major environmental issues faced by the South Asian people particularly Bangladesh and the resultant problems encountered by majority of people. Major environmental issues discussed here are climate change, geophysical setting, ecosystem changes, overgrazing, import of hazardous wastes, deforestation, desertification, pollution, population pressure, collapse and pollution of land resources, water resources and lack of potable water, biodiversity loss, food security risks, depletion of energy resources, and degradation of river and marine resources. Different problems created by mentioned environmental issues like biodiversity loss, impacts to the marine environment, atmospheric pollution, deficient urban structure, water scarcity and degradation, soil erosion and land degradation, natural disaster, pests, and diseases have been depicted in this chapter. Some recommendations have also been provided on the basis of major environmental issues identified and resultant problems.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Land Administration, Faculty of Land Management and Administration, Patuakhali Science and Technology UniversityPatuakhali Science and Technology University, Dumki, Patuakhali, Bangladesh

    G. N. Tanjina Hasnat

  2. Department of Agroforestry, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Dumki, Patuakhali, Bangladesh

    Md. Alamgir Kabir

  3. Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences Chittagong University, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh

    Md. Akhter Hossain

Authors
  1. G. N. Tanjina Hasnat
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  2. Md. Alamgir Kabir
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  3. Md. Akhter Hossain
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Correspondence to G. N. Tanjina Hasnat .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA

    Chaudhery Mustansar Hussain

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA

    Chaudhery Mustansar Hussain

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Hasnat, G.N.T., Kabir, M.A., Hossain, M.A. (2019). Major Environmental Issues and Problems of South Asia, Particularly Bangladesh. In: Hussain, C. (eds) Handbook of Environmental Materials Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73645-7_7

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