Prepared for: Md. Jakariya, PhD, Asst.

Professor, DESM, NSU

Review paper-1, REM-512, MREM, NSU Environmental Philosophy in the context of Bangladesh
Md.Khalequzzaman, Assistant Professor of Geology, Georgia Southwestern State University, americus, GA 31709, USA

O nly a balance between the environment stewardship and economic development can guarantee a sustainable future and the well being of our country Bangladesh in the 21st century. Some of the challenges that we must overcome are; poor economy, political instability, insecurity of human life & property, natural calamities, degraded quality of water & air. -We (the people of Bangladesh) need to set our priorities straight and act upon them immediately. -We must achieve economic development while safeguarding the environment keeping in mind that the earth is a dynamic planet that has maintained a delicate balance through time immemorial. As economic development is just another term for exploitation of the environment, any external stress imposed upon the Earths ecosystem can result in an imbalance among its components. Within very little span of geological time humans have already proven to be a major denominator in many spheres of the environment. Humans have accelerated negative natural changes in the environment at a rate faster than ever before. During the last few decades the earth ecosystem has manifested many signs of unbearable imbalance in its environmental components. -As the carrying capacity of the earth is limited, the rate of population growth in Bangladesh will have to decline substantially for us to be able to strike an environmental balance while still maintaining the kind of decent life that any human being deserves. -Multiple and aesthetic uses of scarce land for more than one purposes is necessary. -Discovery of new resources, energy sources, and innovation in the use of alternative resources can help us achieve potential for prosperity. -An integrated plan is needed for implementing nation-wide Recycle-Reuse-Reduce. -We must restrict building structure on a floodplain as it reduces the total run-off area and groundwater recharge area, which results in an increase in flooding propensity or in decline in the groundwater table. In Bangladesh, lateral spread of development should be contained as much as possible by implementing more environmentally-sound development, such as cluster housing and Compact Township. As all species have the equal right to survive we need to act individually plus collectively to preserve the only habitable planet before it is too late.

Prepared by: S.M.Masudul Haque, I.D. Number >1020680575, MREM, DESM, NSU