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Urban Environmental Health in Bangladesh Slum: a Comparative Study of Two Metropolitan Cities

M A Hossain
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh

M A Islam
Research Fellow, State University of Bangladesh, Dhaka

M Moniruzzaman
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

This study aims to present a comparative study of socioeconomic, physical and urban environmental health condition of two metropolitan cities in Bangladesh. Slums both from Khulna and Rajshahi city were selected for this study. Although both primary and secondary data were used, this study was mainly based on primary data gathered through household questionnaire survey. In order to determine the socio-economic, physical and environmental situations, only those who were the beneficiaries of the UNICEF project were interviewed. The study finds that poor socioeconomic status and inadequacy of urban services has had an immediate effect on urban health special the slum poor in metropolitan cities in the country.

Keywords: Urban, Environment, Health, Basic urban services, Child morbidity, Metropolitan city, Bangladesh

Location: Two divisional cities, Khulna and Rajshahi

Start Date: 00-07-2004

End Date: 00-11-2004

Program Area: Socio-economic and Policy

Non-commodity: Performance

Objectives:

1. To study the socioeconomic situation of the study area, to outline the environmental condition, and 2 To determine the status of environmental health in the slum settlement in the two metropolitan cities in Bangladesh.

Methodology:

Both primary and secondary data were used in this study. Detailed case studies in two cities, Khulna and Rajshahi, have been undertaken. Three slums from Khulna city and five from Rajshahi city were selected emphasizing on some socio-economic, physical, environmental service and urban health. Due to the paucity of secondary data, primary data were also collected in order to acquire knowledge about the socio-economic, physical and environmental conditions of the poor residing in the slums, who were the beneficiaries of the UNICEF project. Slum women with a household income of less than US$ 53.853 per month were the beneficiaries of the project. The samples were taken using simple random sampling in which total sample size was 428 households consisting 214 (total beneficiaries 703) from Rajshahi slums and 214 (total beneficiaries 703) from Khulna slums. The sample size represents 30 percent of the total population. According to the rule of thumb, this sample size sufficiently represents the overall socio-economic, physical and environmental attributes of the slums. A structured questionnaire survey was administered in the slums of two cities from July to November, 2004.. In addition to that, focus group discussions were also conducted. Each group consisted of 10 to 12 people of different profession including slum people. Another set of questionnaires also were used for interviewing key informants such as elderly people, officials both from Government organizations and non government organizations (NGOs), planners, Ward Councilors, academics and project officials who were well acquainted with the reality. Secondary sources were also extensively utilized for this study. These included books, journals, project documents, project evaluation reports, newspaper reports, unpublished reports and internet.

Source of Information: J. Sci. Foundation, 8(1&2): 67-76, June-December 2010; ISSN 1728-7855

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Results of the household surveys conducted in the slums in the two metropolitan cities show that the communities are almost homogenous not only by socio-economic, housing, environmental services and political status but also by environmental health standards. Some dissimilarity is also visible across housing quality, education and housing quality. Khulna features characteristics such as low literacy, poor housing, and lower educational status. These similarities and variations in the profile of the residents in slum communities might have had an influence on environmental health. Although it is very difficult to make any inference on the cause of morbidity of the slum dwellers based on a small number of socio-economic, physical and environmental variables, the inevitable consequence of poor housing environment along with inadequate urban service and its environmental impact on health is taken for granted. However, low level of income, inadequate sanitation services, substandard housing and the crammed environment in the slums studied might have impacted on the environment that led to higher morbidity among the slum dwellers.

Knowledge Management: Journal