Population Growth and Environmental Degradation Scenario of Khulna City

Introduction:

Men are an economic agent whose economic pursuits take place within a socio-economic set
up − the economy where the natural environment provides resources for the socio-economic
activities of the people. These activities may have negative impacts on the quality of the
environment leading to environmental degradation. The rapid population growth in
Bangladesh is threatening our environmental management through the expansion and
intensification of agriculture, uncontrolled growth of urbanization, industrialization and the
holistic destruction of ecological settlement. The increasing population numbers and growing
affluence have already resulted in rapid growth of energy production and consumption in
Bangladesh. Besides, the rate of population growth leads to degenerate arable lands, air,
surface & ground water, forest ecology which are collectively responsible for great disaster.

Bangladesh is a lower middle country in South Asia with lot of possibilities due to her
potential even if there are some crucial challenges. Over the last twenty years, Bangladesh
has accelerated economic growth in order to meet the demands of fast growing population
with limited space and natural resources since the independence of the country. We know
human beings are an essential part of biological environment. The permanent life-cycle of
human being is depended on proper interconnection between natural environment and men.
But the direct and indirect impact of population degrades our local, national, regional and
international environmental equilibrium day by day. Due to the high demand of food, our
agricultural systems are shifting – intensive where more use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides
degrading the soil profile, texture, structure, fertility and specially the ecosystem services.

Khulna is Bangladesh's third-largest city, after Dhaka and Chittagong. It is in the south-

western part of the country, on the Rupsha and Bhairab Rivers. The city covers 59.57 square
kilometres (23.00 sq mi), and Khulna District covers 4,394.46 square kilometres
(1,696.71 sq mi). Khulna is south of Jessore and Narail Districts, east of Satkhira District,
west of Bagerhat and north of the Bay of Bengal. It is part of the Ganges Delta, the world's
largest river delta. Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest, is in the southern part of
the delta. Tidal-flat ecosystems are adjacent to the city. Khulna is in the northern part of the
district, and the Mayur River is the western boundary of its metropolitan area.

Khulna has a tropical wet and dry climate. The city is hot and humid during summer, and
pleasantly warm during winter. Khulna is significantly affected by the Monsoon of South

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Asia. Khulna gets less rainfall than other parts of Bangladesh, however, due to its location
and the effects of the Sundarbans south of the city.

Relation between Population & Environmental Degradation

Environmental degradation simply means overall lowering of environmental qualities

because of adverse changes brought by human activities. The relationship as it stands today
between man and environment is that man’s dominance over nature and that of
overexploitation and misuse of environment to the extent that it is now degraded.
Environmental deterioration by means of land encroachment at forest, destruction of wetlands
and inland fisheries, surface and groundwater pollution, soil nutrient depletion, inland salinity
intrusion, natural calamities like floods, cyclones, tidal surges and tornadoes have resulted in
severe socioeconomic and environmental damage by a combination of natural/anthropogenic
factor. These activities bring about both physical and functional changes in the natural state,
in that way disrupting the ecological balance leading to degradation of the environment

Fig: Relation between Population & Environmental Degradation

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Population growth in Khulna city:

With the increase of population there will be increased demand for food and for all other
necessities of life. When this demand exceeds the sustainable production of agricultural
lands, forests and aquatic regimes, the resource base itself will be eroded. Although the
growth rate of population in Bangladesh is seen to be falling, its size is already large.

Fig: Population of Khulna,2022.

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Khulna had a population of 663,342. The city and its Year
2035
Population
1212517
GrowthRate
0.0198
Growth
23544
metropolitan area had an estimated 2014 population 2034
2033
1188973
1164908
0.0207
0.0214
24065
24459
of 1.022 million. Its population density is about 2032
2031
1140449
1115724
0.0222
0.0228
24725
24829
19,000 inhabitants per square kilometre 2030 1090895 0.0231 24628
2029 1066267 0.023 24010
(49,000/sq mi). Khulna's literacy rate is 59.1 2028 1042257 0.0224 22833
2027 1019424 0.021 20964
percent, higher than the national average of 56.5 2026 998460 0.0186 18260
2025 980200 0.0152 14717
percent 2024 965483 0.0109 10379
2023 955104 0.0057 5445
2022 949659 0.0005 430
2021 949229 -0.0047 -4516
2020 953745 -0.0095 -9100
2019 962845 -0.0129 -12573
2018 975418 -0.0147 -14551
2017 989969 -0.0147 -14767
2016 1004736 -0.0147 -14989
2015 1019725 -0.0147 -15210
2014 1034935 -0.0147 -15440
2013 1050375 -0.0147 -15669
2012 1066044 -0.0147 -15903
2011 1081947 -0.0147 -16140
2010 1098087 -0.0147 -16380
2009 1114467 -0.0147 -16601
2008 1131068 -0.0147 -16896
2007 1147964 -0.0147 -17124
2006 1165088 -0.0147 -17379
2005 1182467 -0.0147 -17615
2004 1200082 -0.0147 -17926
2003 1218008 -0.0147 -18169
2002 1236177 -0.0147 -18440
2001 1254617 0.0059 7314
2000 1247303 0.0223 27203
Fig: Population growth in Khulna city

Environmental displacement because of population growth:

Population growth worsens the poverty situation

of a county. There is already an inequitable
distribution of income and assets. The poor are
living in a poverty trap.As population grows,
their numbers will also increase. Lacking assets,
they will look to nature for their survival. The
rapid increase of population in the urban areas is
changing the scenario of housing, sanitation, water, energy and living condition. As they do
not have enough sewerage systems and garbage disposal facilities, the wastes generated by
their day to day living only help pollute their environment. Besides, environmental
displacement is alarming for Khulna city. The factors can be either natural or anthropogenic.
Floods, severe cyclones, water logging, salinity intrusions, droughts and river bank erosion
which induce mass population displacement.

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Impact of land degradation because of Population Growth

Households with available & safe drinking water

Access to safe drinking water and proper sanitation is both a right and a basic need. Access to
safe drinking water in many households is non-existent or inadequate and remains an urgent
need. The impact of drinking water pollution is more severe on the poor. The problems have
become more acute in the slum areas where such basic necessities of life are either non-
existent, or are inadequate and very low in standard.

Huge stress on land:

The extent of agricultural intensification and extensification is characterized by increase in

cropping and irrigation intensity and higher use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and
insecticides. The process of agricultural extensification and intensification is leading to land
degradation, overexploitation of underground water resources, increased use of chemical
fertilizers leading to eutrophication and water pollution

Degradation of Land/Soil Direct impacts of agricultural development on the environment

arise from farming activities, which contribute to soil erosion, land salination and loss of
nutrients. Leaching from extensive use of pesticides and fertilizers is an important source of
contamination of water bodies. Intensive agriculture and irrigation contribute to land
degradation particularly salination, alkalization and water logging.

Altered consumption patterns The economic and industrial development is inevitably

accompanied by changing patterns of consumption. The number of registered motor vehicles
in India provides one useful indicator of expanding consumption and economic growth. The
increasing vehicles in country, producing more air pollution, fuel consumption, traffic jams
and demands for road construction-often at the cost of agricultural land.

Ground Water Resources, Water scarcity and water pollution

Out of the total replenishable ground water; about 84 percent is made available for agriculture
and livestock, the rest 16 percent is made available for domestic consumption, industrial use
and power generation. The water pollution in Khulna city comes from three main sources:
domestic sewage, industrial effluents and run off from activities such as agriculture. The
increasing river water pollution is the biggest threat to public health.

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Global warming resulting climate change The city’s large population resulting fast
increasing energy use plays an important and growing role in global warming. Global
warming can have major physical, environmental and socioeconomic consequences, which
can be both positive and negative.

Also with rising temperatures, and subsequent increasing heat stress and alternation in
patterns of vector-borne diseases, the global population would be more vulnerable to health
problems, causing disruptions in settlement patterns and large-scale migration.

Conclusion:

The result of high population growth rates are increasing population density, increasing
number of people below poverty line and pressure on natural resources which contributes to
environmental degradation through over exploitation of natural resources. Sustainable
development will not be possible if thoughtful efforts are not made to educate people
regarding environment. Curricula of educational institutional should be premeditated to
incorporate facts about the environment. Effective family planning, empowerment of women,
creative employment generation for the poor is some of the measures for improving
condition. Involving people in environment and resource management, biodiversity
conservation, developing institutional and technical setting, utilizing indigenous knowledge,
implementing environmental laws and policies, improving mental faculty of people can be
effective to trim down environmental degradation.

References:

 https://bea-bd.org/site/images/pdf/new17/97.pdf
 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
340571033_Land_Use_Changes_and_Its_Impact_on_Environment_A_Case_Study_o
n_Urban_Area_in_Khulna_Bangladesh
 https://ku.ac.bd/uploads/kustudies/Vol-1/N%202/205-212.pdf
 https://www.bsf.org.bd/project/assessing-the-present-state-of-environmental-
pollution-in-khulna-city/
 https://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/khulna-population

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