Dhaka city is experiencing rapid urbanization with high economic growth and industrial development. Instead of taking a variety of poverty mitigation and social safety programs, the overall number of people living in the informal urban settlements is increasing at a faster rate than the urban population due to the growing figure of internally displaced people by environmental and socio-economic impacts. This study explores the spatiotemporal growth of city’s irregular and informal settlements occupied by rural–urban migrants, utilizing geographical information systems (GIS) and remote sensing and looks into its impact on the changing land use and land cover pattern and urban built environment. Informal settlements had mapped through the visual interpretation of Google high-resolution image focusing temporal patterns of 2006, 2010 and 2016. The land use analysis shows that cultivated land and water bodies all decreased in the area while built-up areas, bare soil, and informal settlements increased over the same period with the encroachment of low-lying lands for settlements.

This study explored the gendered roles, responsibilities, and inequalities of access to and control over water management in the household, irrigation and agriculture. This study observed that there is considerable gender imbalance with regard to household activities, income generating activities, participation and mobility, ownership and control of resources, decision making power and involvement in different activities in water management. The distinct roles and the relations between men and women may give rise to gender inequalities where one group is systematically favored and holds advantages over another. Therefore, gender mainstreaming in water management is an integral dimension to bring to light the concerns and experiences of both men and women. The study is convinced that dissemination of information with regard to the role of women in water management and benefits of a gendered approach in the water sector has been neglected. There were inadequate research materials, especially locally in relation to gender, water management and women's empowerment, indicating that either there has not been much research conducted to explore the topic, or there has been no proper documentation of research papers pertaining to the same. Possible areas of further research may include evaluating the gender mainstreaming strategies in water and agriculture management in the southwest coastal regions of Bangladesh.

Electronic waste (e-waste) is one of the fastest-growing pollution problems worldwide given the presence if a variety of toxic substances which can contaminate the environment and threaten human health, if disposal protocols are not meticulously managed. In Bangladesh almost 2.7 million metric tons of e-waste generated per year. Of this amount only 20 to 30 percent is recycled and the rest of the waste is released in to landfills, rivers, drains lakes, canals, open spaces which are very hazardous for the health and environment. Since Bangladesh is in the stream of rapid technological advancement, it is seldom to take necessary steps to avoid the future jeopardized situation because of e-waste. The current practices of e-waste management in Bangladesh suffer from a number of drawbacks like the difficulty in inventory, unhealthy conditions of informal recycling, inadequate legislation and policy, poor awareness and reluctance on part of the corporate to address the critical issues. The paper highlights the associated issues and strategies to address this emerging problem, analyses the policy and its gaps. Therefore, this paper also suggest that e-waste policy development may require a more customized approach where, instead of addressing e-waste in isolation, it should be addressed as part of the national development agenda that integrates green economy assessment and strategic environmental assessment as part of national policy planning. Finally this work also suggests some alternative strategies and approaches to overcome the challenges of e-waste

The agricultural system of coastal regions of Bangladesh is heavily dependent on environmental factors such as the timing, intensity and distribution of the monsoon, soil salinity and the availability of freshwater for irrigation. This study explores and documents the farmers’ practices of innovative approaches to fresh water storage and uses in the agriculture and irrigation in the coastal regions of Bangladesh. The study was mostly qualitative in nature but some quantitative primary data were collected based on the study objectives. Primary data were collected through in-depth individual interviews, group discussions, focused group discussions and key informant interviews. The data collection for this study was carried out in the Bajua and Laodob union of Dacope upazilla of Khulna district. This study found that the mainstay of the economy of the study areas is agriculture (51.67% for the Bajua and 50.43% for the Laodob union) and bulk of the local population is dependent on farming. The study found that in 2009 the shrimp farming is being stopped in the study areas by collective efforts of villagers, local political leaders and different NGOs. These areas are now affected by severe water scarcity problems and due to lack of water sources and the increasing salinity, the people in the study areas cultivate rice (Aman) once a year, but now produce robi crops in the summer season. Farmers depend mainly on rainwater, canals, ponds and rivers. It noted that groundwater for irrigation using deep tube wall is failed in the study areas because groundwater lever has already gone very down. This study explored that the increasing salinity, lack of water sources, with temperatures rising, the recurrent natural extremes are impacting on agriculture intensifying the vicious cycle of hunger and poverty are becoming more frequent especially in the summer season. It is interestingly noted that the farmers in the study areas dig small/ mini ponds beside agriculture land during rainy season for storing freshwater which are used in summer season for irrigating robi crops because in summer season, the salinity increases in soil and water and, canal and river become silted. This study revealed that because of high salinity in groundwater and surface water, the people of the study areas use rainwater collecting it in the rainy season and storing it for use during the dry season. However, within a short period, insects begin to breed and nuisances created in the water which affects the quality of water using for irrigation and drinking. To prevent this from happening, some people keep two or three Kai fish (Climbing Perch) in the container to eat insects and keep the water clean and, free of nuisances. This study also importantly noted that to keep the stored rainwater free from any nuisances, some people of the study areas place a paste made from two or three pieces of raw turmeric wrapped in a clean cloth into the water container. They use this as herbal repellant in the form of turmeric in order to keep stored rainwater free of pollution. Communities developed these practices out of necessity and these practices are not tested scientifically, but people believe in their efficacy.