Bangladesh’s cities are drowning in waste. Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet face mounting garbage, clogged drains, and polluted rivers. “Cities of Trash: Bangladesh’s Waste Crisis” exposes the scale, human costs, and urgent need for sustainable solutions to this unfolding urban emergency.
Waste management in Bangladesh’s major cities is at a critical juncture. The excessive production of waste combined with inefficient collection systems has led to severe environmental and health crisis.
While authorities focus on large-scale water logging and canal development projects, the lack of investment in waste management and recycling renders these efforts futile.
Without a sustainable waste management strategy, the nation’s urban centers face an uncertain future. According to a survey by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, city corporations and municipalities spend only $4.5 per person annually on waste management. The lack of skilled personnel further complicates the crisis. For every 350,000 city dwellers, there is just one waste management staff, making efficient collection and disposal nearly impossible. For example, Chattogram, Bangladesh’s second largest city, faces an annual battle with water logging. Despite spending over 700 million USD on water logging projects, the city remains submerged during the monsoon.
The root cause, uncollected garbage that chokes drainage systems, is often ignored. Over the past decade, while millions of dollars have been allocated to canal excavation and flood mitigation efforts, a mega $6 million has been designated for waste management.
The vision of converting waste into energy or wealth has failed to take off in this city. Adding to the crisis, waste collection is often unhygienic and unsafe. Many workers employed informally and without protective gear handle medical waste, sharp objects, and toxic materials with bare hands. This exposes them to infections, injuries, and respiratory problems while their proximity to dump sites further endangers their health and life.
Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, generates around 8,000 metric tons of waste daily. While the two city corporations collect up to 5,500 tons, the remaining waste clogs roads, canals, and rivers, worsening water logging. Despite spending $280 million on drainage projects, residents continue to suffer.
The impact of poor waste management goes beyond inconvenience. It poses serious health risks. Landfills in Matuail and Amin Bazar release methane emissions, worsening air pollution. Studies have found heavy metals in soil and plants near these landfills, increasing the risk of water contamination.
A study titled urban waste management in Bangladesh. An overview with a focus on Taka found that on average 55% of solid waste in urban areas remains uncollected. Experts emphasize that investment in urban waste management must increase. While Chattogram and Taka struggle with waste mismanagement, Sylhet has taken a pioneering step in sustainable waste management.
In collaboration with LafargeHolcim, Sylhet City Corporation has set up Bangladesh’s first material recovery facility at Lalmatia dumping ground. This facility with an initial capacity to treat 200 tons of waste per day ensures that plastic waste is processed and used in cement production, reducing environmental pollution. It is a model that other cities should replicate.
The waste management crisis in Bangladesh’s cities is not just an issue of sanitation. It is an environmental emergency. Experts suggest that investing in waste segregation, recycling, and sustainable waste to energy solutions is the key to solving this crisis.
