Environmental Compliance Procedures in Development Projects of Local Government in Bangladesh: Major Weaknesses and Implications

Abstract

<h2>Environmental compliance in the development projects is regarded as very significant for ensuring sustainable development of a country. In Bangladesh, different environmental Acts and Ordinances have empowered local government bodies to take care of environmental issues in their development activities/projects. At the time of planning and implementation of these development activities/projects, these bodies have to identify and determine the impacts of such activities/projects on environment and natural resources, and take necessary steps to avoid or reduce the adverse environmental impacts of these activities/projects. Otherwise, due to poor planning and implementation of development activities/projects without adequate assessment of potential impacts, physical and biotic environment is significantly changed and many environmental problems take place. This article is an attempt to explore different guidelines and procedures in accordance with environmental rules and regulations to consider environmental issues in preparing development projects by local government bodies of Bangladesh. It also identified the problems or weaknesses that resist the free process of environmental compliances in development process and suggests some recommendations1.0 Introduction</h2> <p><em>Development is a continuous process. Its impact on environment is ever increasing due to interference in the environmental settings. This interference is taken place in the developing countries because of unplanned development activities. Local government bodies in Bangladesh have been vested with planning and implementation of a wide range of development projects like construction of roads, bridges, culverts, housing, potable water supply and irrigation, flood control, recreation centre and markets, etc. with a view to improving the socio-economic condition at rural and urban level of the country. Environmental compliance in case of such development projects is very much essential to reduce the anticipated environmental degradation in the near future. Environmental regulations present a set of environmental protection parameters to analyze the adverse environmental consequences of the projects and adopt appropriate measures to eliminate, reduce to acceptable levels or offset such adverse consequences through proper planning and implementation of the project.</em></p>

Full Text: PDF