Water pollution in Bangladesh: Gap analysis of policy framework

Water pollution is having severe impact on environmental degradation and human health in Bangladesh. Bangladeshi people are highly exposed to arsenic contamination. Lack of facilities for industrial and urban waste management helps water pollution to its persistence. Sea water is continued to be polluted for spilling oil as concerned authority lacks mechanism to face emergency while spillage. In this context, using content analysis, review of different policy documents, reports and qualitative interviews the paper argues though different policies have been formulated including policies for Safe Water Supply and Sanitation (1998), National water policy (1999), National Water Management Plan (NWMT) at short, medium and long term, National Policy for Arsenic Mitigation (2004), coastal zone policy (2005) to control water pollution; research findings and implication were not taken into consideration and clear strategies and visions were missing in the concerned policy documents. Similarly, there is no clear indication of industrial disposal system and process in ‘Industrial Policy 2010'. Having analyzed different policy documents and interview data, the paper demonstrates that there is an existing gap between views of generalist and specialist and most of the policy makers hold the former category who are reluctant to consider the views of specialist researchers and it also reveals that specialist are not promoted in policy making process for existing structure and governance system in Bangladesh.