Dhaka, Aug. 29 -- Bangladesh was once celebrated as a land of clean water, fertile fields, and lush greenery, but over the past decades, the surge of diverse development activities, rapid urbanisation, and industrialisation has begun to exact a heavy toll on the environment.

In a country of more than 175 million people, growth has become increasingly challenging, and the pressures of high population density (1333 people per square kilometer; 2024) are showing on the land, air, and water.

Every year, around 2,500 to 3,000 hectares of arable lands are being converted or used for non-agricultural purposes, while cities are swelling with people migrating from rural areas in search of work and shelter, undermining the very benefits of urbani...