This book is meant to he both a text for university students and a reference for professionals. As in the first edition, the various aspects of the geography are first explained and then followed by an exposition of the economy through the national accounting system. This is an innovation in teaching economic
In his ninth book on Bangladesh’s physical geography and agriculture, the author draws upon his long experience in observing and studying the country’s physical environment, including its climate. Chapters 1 and 2 briefly describe the country’s diverse physiographic regions and its present climate. Chapter 3 then summarises information on the causes of global warming and possible impacts on climate, and draws attention to the serious limitations of climate models relating to the Indian subcontinent.
Importance of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) has been felt more than ever for ensuring sustainability of water resources and environment as well as every individual’s reliable access to enough safe water. In the latest Assessment Report of Working Group II, the IPCC has mentioned that IWRM should be one of the key instrument to explore adaptation measures to climate change, although it is still in its infancy.
The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) has lost its majestic look. The hills are barren today. The forest resources have decreased to such great extent that official logging that the Bangladesh Forest industry Development Corporation (BFIDC) had performd for decades has come to an end. The Kaptai Dam, Karnaphuli Paper Mill (KPM) and other ‘development icons’ manifest concrete evidences of the ecological devastation today. The indigenous peoples who had a free run in the forest for generations now witness their nexus with nature torn.
Bangladesh has significant coal deposits in the North of the Country.But discontent and the grassroots revolt against the open-cut mine has made “Phulbari Coal Mine’ synonymous to a crisis. In the Face of unprecedented resistance from the communities, any activity in Phulbari mine footprint remains suspended since August 2OO6.This book presents stunning facts, analyses, critiques and images to Explain why local communities and many others are strongly opposed to Open cut mine.
Bangladesh has been hit for centuries by the Bay of Bengal tropical cyclones. In terms of human casualties, the country is the worst global cyclone victim. Most of the cyclonic havocs are caused by the cyclone generated storm surges. Cyclones cannot be stopped from forming. The only way we are left with is to know how to live with them. In spite of the fact that Bangladesh has developed over the years much better cyclone preparedness programmes, we are still far away from knowing well the ‘enemy’ cyclone.
The Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna estuary forms the central and most dynamic part of the coastal zone of Bangladesh. It is being shaped by a complex pattern of interactions between phenomena as the discharge of water, the sediment load, tidal forces and estuarine circulation. This leads to a permanent process of formation and erosion of land and, indeed, to moving coastlines. It is a unique environment, not seen at this scale in any other part of the world. The book follows three interwoven themes.
Groundwater has been the main source of water for drinking and irrigation. It is also the source of arsenic poisoning that affects millions of people in Bangladesh. Despite its importance, very little information is available in the public domain on this enigmatic resource. On the other hand, vast amounts of information exist in unpublished project reports and the like. For the first time, this book brings together the key elements of this work as well as presenting an up to date perspective on the problems and prospects for the future use of groundwater in Bangladesh.
Adnan Morshed’s allegory of the oculus—a circular recess at the apex of a dome—as a way of seeing things from an unusual angle, with both engaged subjectivity and dispassionate distance, works well for some of the poignant developmental issues of Bangladesh. He lives away from his motherland, a detachment that he uses not for nostalgic reminiscences, but as a global citizen’s intellectual fodder for distant observations of his birthplace.
This is the author's seventh book on agricultural development and disaster management in Bangladesh. He draws upon his 35 years experience in the country to describe the causes and impacts of the floods which periodically ravage Bangladesh and to review the efforts made to mitigate the damage and suffering they cause. The three chapters in Part I provide background information on the physical environment.