Bangladesh –Sink or Swim?

At a glance:

Population (2004): 140 m

Pop. Growth rate (avg. 98-04): 1.7%

Rural Pop: 74%

Area: 147,570 sq km.

Population/sq.km: 1024

Rivers: 700 rivers; over 24,000 km in length

Source: www.worldbank.org.bd

Environmental (un)sustainability Effects of climate change

Sea level rise will engulf 11% of land Affecting 600,000 people in coastal areas Increased soil salinity

Drought in the northwest during the dry season Frequent flooding River erosion Storm surges and tornadoes

Life along the river…

Bangladesh Ecological Footprint: 0.05 hectares

USA Ecological Footprint: 9.57 hectares

Western European Ecological Footprint: 5.0 hectares.

The Institute for Sustainable Development

ULAB believes that educational institutions have an obligation to imbue the next generation of leaders with the skills and ethics necessary to incorporate socially and environmentally responsible practices into all levels of the public and the private sectors.

The ISD is an interdisciplinary research, teaching, and consulting institute focused on creating development, design, and business models that increase economic productivity through social and environmental justice.

Learning for a Livable Future

Bangladeshand Development

The future of environmental and social progress in an increasingly

liberalized, corporatized, and globalized Bangladesh will be determined by

the ability of individuals and institutions to integrate the true value of human,

natural, social, and monetary capital into a single progressive paradigm.

NGOs and related hybrids already operate in nearly every sphere of civil and corporate society. Yet, Bangladesh has no focused vehicle for the promotion of sustainable practices.