Impact of Land Use and Urbanization Activities on Water Quality of the Mega City,Dhaka

Abstract

The capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka, is a mega city with around 12 million people in 2006. Its urban growth rate is one of the fastest in the world. The city is surrounded by four rivers with well distributed streams and drainage channels as well as inlands and open water bodies. The chemical and biological environments of these water bodies profoundly influence the inhabitants' life in numerous ways. Agriculture, economy, health, as well as expansion of the city are influenced by the environment of these water bodies. The untreated domestic sewage and uncontrolled industrial discharges are turning the water quality from bad to worse. Groundwater storage is on the verge of great threat because of increasing pollution of the surface water. Ecological balance of these water streams is facing serious threat due to pollution with severely limiting fish growth. Unplanned urbanization and industrialization in the city are contributing largely to all the problems regarding water environment. Seasonal open water bodies are still considered suitable for development of fishery and aesthetic applications. Development activities are required to ensure various environments of water bodies safe and sustained, and regulations are needed to be imposed to protect these environments.