Filetype PDF | Posted on 19 Aug 2022 | 4 years ago
Authentication
digital resources
282x Filetype PDF File size 0.73 MB Source: nopr.niscpr.res.in
Indian Journal of Geo Marine Sciences
Vol. 47 (10), October 2018, pp. 1909-1917
Review Article
Land-based marine pollution control in Bangladesh: A Suggested framework with
a critical analysis of national legal issues
1, 2* 1 1 1
Md. Wahidul Alam, Sara Qayum, Md. Monjur Hasan & Xu Xiangmin
1
School of Law and Political Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao-266100, China
2
Institute of Marine Sciences and Fisheries, University of Chittagong, Chittagong-4331, Bangladesh
*[Email: wahidul.alam@cu.ac.bd]
Received 10 November 2017; revised 03 May 2018
Present study critically reviewed the almost national legal regimes of the environmental protection in Bangladesh.
A separate wing should be set up under the environment department for enforcing the regulation, law, and order concerning
land-based marine pollution. The suggested framework will help to implement the comprehensive law for land-based marine
pollution control in Bangladesh.
[Keywords: Suggested Framework; Land-based Marine Pollution; Critical Analysis; National Legal Issues; Bangladesh]
Introduction that entering the ocean and coastal water by run-off
The coastal and marine environment of Bangladesh from land, drain, rivers, channels and other outfall
is enriching with flora, fauna, hydrocarbon, mineral structures which accounts for 44% of the marine
7
deposits and good stocks of commercially exploitable pollution . It also arises from ships and aircrafts,
fish and seafood’s. The Bay of Bengal (BOB) is which is responsible for 33% of the marine pollution
1 7
linked with the southern side of the country and 25% worldwide . LMP is dominant in Bangladesh due to
of the total populations are coastal residents whereas lack of waste treatment facilities including
most of them are directly depends on the marine urbanization, industrialization, agriculture, siltation
2
resources including fisheries for their livelihood . The etc. The increasing rate of LMP put down to
country has a network of 230 rivers rivulets and a deteriorate the marine and coastal resources, which
largest unbroken coastline of 710 kilometres. It has an underline the economic development of the country
independent ocean area of about 118,813 sq. km. after and hamper to reach the ‘Blue Economy or Blue
maritime dispute settlement against Myanmar and Growth’ including Millennium Development Goal
3
India since 2012 and 2014 respectively (Fig. 1). (MDG). As one-fourth of the total population of
In Bangladesh, marine pollution divided into two Bangladesh living along the coastline whereas most of
4
categories, one is land-based and another is sea-based them are directly reliant on the marine resources for
8
whereas land-based sources of pollution cause in three their livelihood so, it is important to protect marine
ways like Municipal waste, Industrial waste including environment from pollution including LMP.
ship-breaking activities and agriculture waste. Land- Bangladesh enacted some laws and regulations to
based Marine Pollution (LMP) has become the major act to the global demand for the protection and
contributor of pollution and contamination in the conservation of environment and ecosystem.
5
marine environment . In 2006, the National Program Therefore, national legal regimes along with the
of Action (NPA) regarding Land-based marine domestic stakeholders should go hand to hand to
pollution control of Bangladesh reported that, all protect the marine environment from land-based
major rivers in Bangladesh bring billions of tons and pollution in Bangladesh. The policy makers and
sediments into the BOB. Presently, LMP is the most stakeholders of the country can implement national
common form of marine pollution that accounting for comprehensive policy for the protection of the marine
6
75% or more . Another estimate gives figures ranging environment and their ecosystem regarding LMP
6
from 50% to 90% on a worldwide basis . Generally, control. However, still the public and private sectors
LMP mainly occurred from the substances and energy are struggling with age-old up-enforced laws having
IINNDDIIAANN JJ.. MMAARR.. SSCCII..,, VVOOLL.. 4477,, NNOO.. 10, OCTOBER 2018
1910
10
Fig. 1 — Maritime Map of Bangladesh
9
Materials and Methods
ttrraaddiittiioonn oorrggaanniizzaattiioonnaall ffeeuuddaalliissmm iinn ppllaaccee . In 1992,
The article is based on a rreevviieeww of the secondary
BBaannggllaaddeesshh hhaass ddrraafftteedd tthhee NNaattiioonnaall CCoonnsseerrvvaattiioonn
informattiioonn tthhaatt ccoolllleecctteedd ffrroomm peer-reviewed journals
SSttrraatteeggyy ttoo aaddoopptt tthhee NNaattiioonnaall EEnnvviirroonnmmeenntt PPoolliiccyy
aarrttiicclleess,, ppuubblliisshheedd bbooookkss aanndd ggoovveerrnnmmeenntt rreeppoorrttss wwhhiicchh
wwhhiicchh iiss aallssoo rreevviisseedd bbyy eennaaccttiinngg tthhee BBaannggllaaddeesshh
ppuubblliisshheedd iinn ddiiffffeerreenntt ffoorrmmss.. IInn aaddddiittiioonn ttoo rreevviieewwiinngg
EEnnvviirroonnmmeenntt CCoonnsseerrvvaattiioonn ((BBEECC)) AAcctt 11999955.. TThhee
sseeccoonnddaarryy lliitteerraattuurree,, pprriimmaarryy lleeggaall ssoouurrcceess ssttaattuuttoorryy
1995 BBEECC AAcctt rreessttrruuccttuurreedd bbyy tthhee DDeeppaarrttmmeenntt ooff
instruments and subsidiary lleeggiissllaattiioonn relating to coastal
EEnnvviirroonnmmeenntt ((DDOOEE)),, wwhhiicchh iiss tthhee mmaaiinn ggoovveerrnnmmeenntt
aanndd mmaarriinnee eennvviirroonnmmeennttaall ppoolllluuttiioonn iinn BBaannggllaaddeesshh,,
wwiinnggss iinn BBaannggllaaddeesshh aabboouutt tthhee eennvviirroonnmmeennttaall
ppoolliiccyy ppaappeerrss,, ccoommmmiissssiioonneedd rreeppoorrttss,, nneeggoottiiaattiinngg
pprrootteeccttiioonn aanndd ccoonnsseerrvvaattiioonn.. FFuurrtthheerrmmoorree,, tthhee 11999977
ddooccuummeennttss aanndd rreeggiioonnaall aanndd iinntteerrnnaattiioonnaall iinnssttrruummeennttss oonn
BBEECC RRuulleess hhaass eennaacctteedd ttoo ssuupppplleemmeenntt tthhee 11999955 BBEECC
marine pollution are analyzed.. SSeeccoonnddaarryy ddaattaa wwaass aallssoo
Act for the protectionn ooff tthhee eennvviirroonnmmeenntt.. TThhee
ccoolllleecctteedd ffrroomm nneewwssppaappeerrss rreeppoorrts that provided
DDeeppaarrttmmeenntt ooff SShhiippppiinngg ((DDOOSS)) ooff BBaannggllaaddeesshh aallssoo
vvaalluuaabbllee iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn aabboouutt ddiiffffeerreenntt aaccttiivviittiieess ttaakkeenn bbyy
ggiivveess tthhee eeffffeeccttss ooff MMAARRPPOOLL CCoonnvveennttiioonn bbyy
tthhee BBaannggllaaddeesshh ggoovveerrnnmmeenntt aanndd vvaarriioouuss NNGGOOss rreellaatteedd
iinnttrroodduucceedd tthhee ‘‘DDrraafftt ooff 22000044 MMaarriinnee EEnnvviirroonnmmeenntt
ttoo eennvviirroonnmmeennttaall pprrootteeccttiioonn.. TThhee eexxiissttiinngg ppoolliiccyy ppaappeerrss
CCoonnsseerrvvaattiioonn AAcctt’’ bbuutt iitt ddiidd nnoott aacchhiieevvee tthhee ssttaattuuss ooff
8
were analyzed ttooggeetthheerr wwiitthh ooccccaassiioonnaall aammeennddmmeennttss
law yet .. MMoorreeoovveerr,, tthhee 11999944 CCooaasstt GGuard Act has
considered for this study ffooccuussiinngg oonn llaanndd-based
ssoommee pprroovviissiioonnss aanndd rreessppoonnssiibbiilliittiieess ttoo pprrootteecctt tthhee
ppoolllluuttiioonn,, mmaarriinnee eennvviirroonnmmeennttaall pprrootteeccttiioonn,, eeccoossyysstteemm
mmaarriinnee eennvviirroonnmmeenntt aanndd mmaarriittiimmee ssaaffeettyy.. TThhee 11998833
ccoonnsseerrvvaattiioonn aanndd mmaarriinnee rreessoouurrcceess ddeevveellooppmmeenntt eettcc.. AAllll
MMeerrcchhaanntt SShhiippppiinngg OOrrddiinnaannccee iiss tthhee mmaaiinn uummbbrreellllaa ooff
ooff tthheessee ggaatthheerreedd ddaattaa aanndd rreelleevvaanntt iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn on
llaaww rreegguullaattiinngg aaccttiivviittiieess rreellaattiinngg ttoo sshhiippppiinngg iinn
11
nnaattiioonnaall llaawwss aanndd iissssuueess aarree rreevviieewweedd aanndd ssyynntthheessiizzeedd to
Bangladesh ..UUnnddeerr tthhee rreelleevvaanntt ggoovveerrnnmmeent
give the structuurree ooff tthhee rreesseeaarrcchh aarrttiiccllee.. A suggested
ddeeppaarrttmmeenntt,, aann eennffoorrcciinngg wwiinngg wwiitthh nneecceessssaarryy
ffrraammeewwoorrkk ffoorr tthhee pprreevveennttiioonn ooff LLMMPP iiss bbaasseedd oonn
ffaacciilliittiieess aanndd iinnffrraassttrruuccttuurree sshhoouulldd bbee sseett uupp sseeppaarraatteellyy
tthhee ccrriittiiccaall aannaallyyssiiss ooff rreelleevvaanntt ddoommeessttiicc llaawwss iinn
for enforcing the regulation, llaaww,, and order
Bangladesh.
concerning LMP control.
JING et al.: CHINA’S MARINE MOLLUSCA TRADE
1911
ALAM et al.: MARINE POLLUTION CONTROL IN BANGLADESH
Results and Discussion causes of these serious phenomena are many whereas
some of them stand out that causes various known and
Impacts of LMP
unknown health hazard diseases like diarrhea,
Although coastal and marine environment has a
dysentery, cholera etc. for coastal residents. Increasing
great importance due to infinite sources of food and
trends of heavy metals concentrations at sea cause
resources, so protection of the marine environment
harm to the marine mammals like liver diseases,
from LMP is important. According to the Bay of
tissue spoilage, reproductive system damage,
Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem (BOBLME) national
immunosuppressant, live enlargement, digestive tract
report, land-based sources of pollution in Bangladesh
and nervous system contaminant and endocrine
has two types like point and non-point sources
15
abnormality . Many scientists examine and believe
(Table 1) whereas both sources of pollution enters
that these illnesses caused by contamination of the
through the drain, rivers, canals, floods, tides,
14
ocean with synthetic toxic chemicals . Hazardous
groundwater or by atmospheric deposition or
1 heavy waste concentration in ship recycling area also
discharges directly to the ocean . Industrial waste and
indicates the alarming growth in cancer in coastal
city garbage is one of the leading factors, which
4 residents. Marine plants are becoming invisible day by
pollute the marine environment of Bangladesh . Due
4
day at the BoB . In St. Martin Island, seawater is
to the increasing of rapid urbanization, untreated
highly polluted because of increasing trends of tourism
municipal wastes directly dumped indiscriminately to
and land-based activities that destroys the coral reef
the drain, canal or river, which ultimately linked with
and marine ecosystem (Table 2). In addition, marine
the ocean. Agriculture pesticides and chemicals are
pollution affects the coral reefs in an adverse way
also the major cause of pollution in Bangladesh which
4 by blocks the sunlight and make obstacles for
is negligible than other reasons for LMP . In
photosynthesis under water. Therefore, control of
Bangladesh ship recycling wastes and ship breaking
marine pollution can be a safeguard for the sustainable
yards are also major sources of LMP because all ship-
protection of the living resources at BOB.
recycling industry do their operation near the coast
12
which called ‘Beaching’ method . Still, hazardous
Table 1 — Key sources of Land-based Marine Pollution in
1
materials like PCBs, asbestos, cadmium, lead,
Bangladesh
organotin, zinc, arsenic, and cadmium from ship
Point Sources Non-point Sources
recycling yard are being cut up in open beaches
Wastewater Treatment Plants Agricultural Runoff (pesticides,
without considering safe and environmentally friendly
fertilizers and animal wastes)
Untreated Sewage- Outfalls
waste management practices which causes heavy Oil, oily matters and toxic
Partially Treated/
4
chemicals from urban runoff
metals pollution at Chittagong coast (Fig. 2). Untreated Industrial Effluent
Coliform microbes and pathogens
Outfalls
In the coastal and marine environment, LMP has
Sediments (from Construction),
Aquaculture Effluents
largely effects on marine animals and plants including
Hill cutting & deforestation.
human health. Marine pollution exposure can cause
River runoff
chronic disease to the coastal residents. Due to taken
contaminated fish, toxin builds up in the tissues of the
human body which may cause cancer, birth defects,
reproductive imbalance and long-term health
13
problems . Marine mammals also are suffering from
liver diseases, nervous and digestive system problems,
contaminant-induced immunosuppressant, reproductive
malformations, endocrine system damage, growth and
14
development issues . Sea turtles are specially
attracting by floating plastic bags as looks jellyfish,
which collapse their digestive system and results into
14
painful death . Fish exports is the second earning
source of Bangladesh but recently fish capture has been
decreased in number at coastal belt as damaging of fish
4
breeding by marine pollution . Marine birds are one of
Fig. 2 — Heavy metals concentration in the coastal waters of
16
the vulnerable animals to marine pollution. However,
Chittagong coast, Bangladesh
INDIAN J. MAR. SCI., VOL. 47, NO. 10, OCTOBER 2018
1912
17
use of the purpose. Section 8 is the cornerstone of the
Table 2 — Water quality at St. Martin’s Island, Bangladesh coast
marine pollution control which states ‘Bangladesh
Water Quality/Parameters Pre-monsoon Post-monsoon
has the sovereign right to pursuant its environmental
Air Temperature 25.2°C 32.2°C
policies and in accordance with its duty to conserve,
Water Temperature 31°C 24.1°C
20
protect and preserve the marine environment’ .
Water PH 7.3 6.4
It also empowers the Government to make rules on
Salinity 33 ppt. 26 ppt.
control of pollution-The Government may, with a view
DO 6.89 mg/l 4.56 mg/l
CO2 values 17.00 mg/l 7.89 mg/l to preventing and controlling marine pollution and
Water transparency 490cm 313cm
proving the quality and ecological balance in the
TSS values 3.20 mg/l 2.0 mg/l
marine environment in the high seas, take such
TDS values 29.10 mg/l 12.78 mg/l
measures as it may deem appropriator for the
21
purpose’ . Besides the ‘Territorial Waters and
Critical Analysis of National Legal Instruments for Control
LMP Maritime Zones (TWMZ) Rules 1977’ provides rule
There are lots of international soft laws, hard laws, and specific criteria on the conduct of foreign ships
different issues, and conventions to deal with marine including marine fishing or research survey in the
pollution control but concerning marine protection territorial waters if the foreign ships have violated the
from pollution in Bangladesh, some of the domestic law in force in Bangladesh. Section 5 of the TWMZ
laws ratified more than hundred years ago and yet not
Rules represents any activities of serious pollution
updated. The port act was enacted in 1908 to prevent
caused by marine fishing or carry out any research or
22
water pollution that caused by bunker oily water
survey activities, will consider as violation of person .
discharge, rubbish and ballast water dumping, oil
Focusing the marine and coastal environmental
spillage etc. but the punishment provisions are not
protection ‘The National Environmental Policy’
enough yet. Before liberation of Bangladesh in 1971,
enacted in 1992 that contains eight action plans and
The ‘East Pakistan Water Pollution Control Board’
implemented by different stakeholders of the
adopted the ‘1970 Water Pollution Control Ordinance’
government. The 1992 National Environment Policy
for prevention, control and measurement of existing
(NEP) holds a number of related sectors including
and potential pollutants of any waters including
marine pollution and fisheries. It provides particular
18
coastal and marine waters in Bangladesh .
guidelines for the environmental development of the
The ordinance provides information regarding
country to facilitate sustainability of natural
23
sewerage and wastes treatment status to the board.
resources . The policy suggested for amendment of
The ordinance also provided some definitions
domestic laws, adopting new rules and their
about the environment-related policy and legislation
implementation. For coordination and implementation
in Bangladesh regarding pollution. The 1977
of the NEP, MOEF is the assigning authority in
Environmental Pollution Control Ordinance mainly
Bangladesh to consult with a National Environmental
displaced by the 1970 Water Pollution Control
Committee (NEC) with the chief of the government.
Ordinance, extended the prevention, control and
Regarding the coastal and marine environment,
reduction of pollution to the entire environment of
MOEF will establish a separate cell to integrate
Bangladesh. The 1977 Ordinance also reformed the
environmental protection, monitoring, and development
Environmental Pollution Control Board to monitor the
whereas the 1992 Policy makes some action plan to
extending to air or soil pollution and giving the power
ensure the environmentally sound eco-system and
to the board to appoint expert officers to the
marine resources. The action plan also suggests that
inspection of any wastes in water, air or soil to
The Bangladesh Navy can also take some necessary
manage all reasonable opportunities to such officers
steps for control pollution in terrestrial waters and
19
for such test and inspection .
The Department of Shipping will observe the
In the context of marine environmental pollution
activities like shipping pollution. The 1995 National
prevention in the BOB, the TWMZ Act adopted in
Environmental Management Action Plan (NEMAP)
1974. At Section 8 and 9 of this act implies that the
developed according to the guidelines of the action
government may take the initiative to make
plan of NEP 1992. The management plan attempts
comprehensive rules regarding marine environmental
to lead for better management to the improvement
pollution and also to preserving the high seas
of natural environment and reduction rate of
adjoining to the territorial waters for the appropriate environmental degradation. The activities of the plan
no reviews yet
Please Login to review.
