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Analysis of Major Hazards on Human Health in Khulna City

Md. Mujibor Rahman*
Environmental Science Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna 9208, Bangladesh

Samir Hori
Environmental Science Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna 9208, Bangladesh

Md. Mizanur Rahman
Department of Geography, Alhaz Amzad Hossain College, Pancha, Rajbari, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Being a developing country of the world, Bangladesh is overwhelmed with various environmental problems. The rapid increase in urban population has made a tremendous claim on the already over utilized civic facilities and created a state of disequilibrium in the urban environment. The overall environmental condition and human health condition in urban areas were miserable because of the absence of proper planning and lack of different basic services necessary for decent living in the urban area. This research identifies the major hazards that affect human health of Khulna City and find out the information about major hazards such as high population density, unhealthy housing condition, fire, bad sanitation system, improper water supply, improper solid waste management, unhygienic food, industry, insufficient health facility, water logging, noise and odour condition of the city. This study also finds out most stress areas of the city which affect human health. This research also finds out that only 33.77% people live in low and moderate stress areas. The city dwellers often suffer from several diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery and skin diseases.

Keywords: Hazards, Human health, Stress, KDA

Location: Khulna city of Bangladesh

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Socio-economic and Policy

Commodity: Health hazard

Objectives:

With ever increasing population pressure, progressive development of various industries of different sizes, increase in the transportation, build up of a large area of slums and unplanned housing for providing residential accommodation of the city dwellers, development of various informal and small industries in residential areas, absence of any sewerage system, lack of adequate roads and drains, inadequate provision for water supply and solid waste disposal system, etc. have led to the development of various environmental problems in Khulna City. The major objectives are (i) to identify and mapping of environmental by stressed areas ; (ii) to find out the relationship between environmentally stressed areas and general level of health; and (iii) to identify the most important hazards for human health in Khulna City Corporation which are not being managed properly.

Methodology:

Several things which are relevant to the present study have played an incremental role for developing the concept of the study. Discrete selections of the study area are very much momentous for any study. It is remarkable that the ultimate success of any research fully depends on the selection of the study area. Since Khulna city is the third largest city of Bangladesh, and it is rapidly being urbanized. 69.5% of city population consists of low income group, 29.7% belongs to middle income and only 1.8% is of upper-income group. Management of human health and related environmental parameter in the municipal area is the responsibility of KCC. Present area under its jurisdiction is 44.78 sq. km divided into 31 wards with a population of 888792 (Anon, 2006). The criteria of this selection include: Khulna is one of the most unique dense regions of Bangladesh and is, therefore, subject to pollution; the city is the ideal unplanned residential area in the context of its dense population and defective environmental management system towards human health. A Simple random sampling technique has been applied as sampling procedure. A complete list of households in the KCC was used for the determination of sample size. Field survey direct interview the relevant persons of Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED), Water Development Board (WDB), Conservancy Department of KCC, Khulna Development Authority (KDA) and Bangladesh Statistical Bureau (BBS) Khulna Center, Public Works Department (PWD) Khulna etc. After the questionnaire survey a field survey was conducted for data collection during 2007. The people of city were suffering from many health hazards. According to household survey of the study the major hazards for health of city dwellers are related to water supply; drainage; water logging and sanitation; solid waste; housing and density; industry; food; health facilities; odour; noise; traffic, transportation and road ; air pollution and fire and dairy & poultry and cattle.

Source of Information: Khulna University Studies, 9(2): 197-210, 2008

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

1.

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The overall environmental condition of city is not so good only 33.77% of the total population of city live in low & moderate stress condition. Various diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery & skin diseases are common in other stress areas. Health hazard problems are the common phenomenon not only in Khulna City but also in other urban areas of Bangladesh. For the last few decades the growth of urban population is extremely high. This is due to high migration rate of rural to urban areas as well as the natural increase of population. The major cities of the country contain large number of poor people living in slums and squatter settlements and they are the first sufferer of those hazards. KCC and KDA are the authorities responsible for controlling and improving overall living condition of city dwellers. KCC provides services to all the people within their jurisdiction. Though, KCC and KDA have resource constraints but the maintenance of the services that they render and distribute and facilities are proportionately insufficient also in negligible condition. For getting vast and accurate knowledge about the hazards that are present in the KCC, it needs further in depth investigation. To reduce health related problem participatory approach should be grown among GOs, NGOs and Private sectors. All organizations have to work in equitable manner for development. Every development program should be free from political violence and political parties should have to work combinedly. Proper environmental settings are preconditions for any development initiative. Improper environmental condition has been shown to upset the productive potential of any sector. It may be mentioned here that environmental conditions include physical, biological (human being, animals and plants) and social environment. Therefore, maintaining a sustainable balance of physical, biological and social environment is necessary for effective and successful use of any environment for promoting the development for the benefit of mankind.

Knowledge Management: Journal