Pollution has become the most dangerous enemy of mankind. Bangladesh is recognized worldwide as one of the most vulnerable countries to the impacts of environmental pollutions. Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh faces air pollution problems from all sides. As being a highly populated city, it is subject to the air contaminating effects of the massive use of cars, motorbikes and trucks and there is also the industrial side of the city, contributing to the ever-growing pollution levels by emitting particulate matter (PM). In 2019, Dhaka came in with a PM2.5 reading of 83.3 μg/m³ as the yearly average, putting it in the ‘unhealthy’ bracket of air quality, which requires a PM2.5 reading between 55.5 to 150.4 μg/m³ to be classed as unhealthy . Besides air pollution, plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues in Dhaka city, because the rate of disposable plastic products is increasing here day by day. According to the World Bank, the annual per capita plastic consumption in Dhaka city is 22.25kg which is more than three times the national average for urban areas. Because of rapid urbanization and development, the use of plastic as well as the plastic waste production has increased a lot in Dhaka city. A report by business consulting firm LightCastle Partners on the plastic industry states that in Dhaka, between 2005 and 2020, daily plastic waste has seen a spike from 178 tons to a staggering 646 tons . These types of plastic products are more likely to end up causing clogging in different waterbodies than reusable options. Especially, single-use plastic (SUP) or disposable plastics packaging materials are used only once before being thrown away. Considering the adverse effect of air and plastic pollution on environment, the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) has undertaken an initiative titled “Green Cities Initiative” with the objective to make cities green and environment friendly by reducing the pollution of air and plastic. In this light, dRi administered a household survey in Dhaka city to identify the firmvers and impacts of air and plastic pollution in Dhaka city as well as to recommend policies to reduce these both types of pollution. CPD will utilize the output of this survey to produce knowledge products such as inter alia, research papers, policy briefs which will facilitate the behavioral and policy change that will create a roadmap for green cities in Bangladesh. The core objective of the study is to facilitate the identification of the underlying factors that are contributing to air and plastic pollution, as well as their respective impacts, and thereby provide valuable insights for the development of effective policy measures aimed at mitigating air and plastic pollution.
Serial No: 249
Theme: Environmental and Climate Issues
Research Method: Quantiative
Partner: Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD)
Starting Year: 2023
Study Area: Dhaka City Corporation
