Perceptions of Urban Pollution of River Dependent Rural Communities and Their Impact: A Case Study in Bangladesh

Dibash Deb, Petra Schneider, Zawhar Dudayev, Arian Emon, Songa Scholastica Areng and Mohammad Mojibul Hoque Mozumder
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Dibash Deb: Department of Oceanography, University of Chittagong, Chattagram 4331, Bangladesh
Petra Schneider: Department for Water, Environment, Civil Engineering and Safety, University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal, D-39114 Magdeburg, Germany
Zawhar Dudayev: Department of Environmental Science and Disaster Management, Daffodil International University, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh
Arian Emon: Department of Political Science, Jagannath University, Dhaka 1100, Bangladesh
Songa Scholastica Areng: Department of Film and Media Studies, Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University, Mymensingh 2220, Bangladesh
Mohammad Mojibul Hoque Mozumder: Fisheries and Environmental Management Group, Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 24, 1-27

Abstract: This study considers the Old Brahmaputra River, Bangladesh, as a case study regarding community perceptions on urban pollution and its impact on rural communities. In doing so, in-depth individual interviews ( n = 195), key informant interviews ( n = 7), and focus group discussions ( n = 7) were conducted by emphasizing different perspectives on urban pollution and its effects on people related to losses of fisheries resources, agricultural production, human health, and livelihood transformation. The findings illustrate that poor urban solid waste management and direct sewage discharge degrade rivers daily. The most vulnerable rural communities are directly dependent upon the river, including fishermen, farmers, and boatmen. Specific measures such as an effluent treatment plant should be established near the river, and households and commercial drains should be cut off from the direct connection with the river. Alternative income-generating activities for the stakeholders are suggested to safeguard the river from urban pollution and the wellbeing of the stakeholders.

Keywords: urban pollution; Old Brahmaputra River; rural communities; sewage discharge; livelihood transformation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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