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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 10, No. 8
Publication Date: August 25, 2023
DOI:10.14738/assrj.108.15214.
Shumshunnahar, M. & Amin, M. R. (2023). Role of Mass Media in Promoting Environmental Health and Awareness in Bangladesh:
A Case Study. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(8). 32-40.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Role of Mass Media in Promoting Environmental Health and
Awareness in Bangladesh: A Case Study
Mst. Shumshunnahar
Department of Public Administration
Comilla University, Cumilla, Bangladesh
Md Ruhul Amin
Department of Public Administration
Comilla University, Cumilla, Bangladesh
ABSTRACT
The general public, local producers, scientists, policymakers, administrators, and
government politicians all play important roles in the development and
dissemination of awareness. In the context of the environment and development
paradox, environmental awakening in developing nations such as Bangladesh is a
current topic. Environmental awareness assists in acquainting social groups and
individuals with the environment and associated issues. As the general population
of Bangladesh explores information about nature, environment, and biodiversity
through television, newspapers, and radio, mass media can play a crucial role in
enhancing the public's knowledge of environmental challenges, issues, eco-friendly
technologies, laws, and policies, as well as development-related environmental
issues.
Keywords: Media, Environment, Health, Awareness, Bangladesh.
INTRODUCTION
Pollution in the environment threatens the future of the human race on Earth. Environmental
problems can't be limited by a country's borders, but their effects are felt all over the world.
This widespread damage to the environment has made people all over the world worry about
how to save and protect the earth's environment. Since it got its freedom in 1971, Bangladesh
has been trying to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population with limited room and
natural resources by speeding up economic growth. Bangladesh made a national pledge to the
environmental movement at the Stockholm Conventions in 1972 (Bandhu, Desh and Dyal, R.:
1999). This led to the creation of the first Water Pollution Control Ordinance in 1973, which
was followed by the Environment Pollution Control Ordinance in 1977. The Department of
Environment (DOE) was started in 1985. It was first called the Department of Pollution Control
Ordinance. When the Environmental Policy of 1992 was made, it was the first time that the idea
of saving the environment through national efforts was recognized and backed up. Since these
steps began, not many of the Environment Policy directives and standards have been put into
place. The Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act (ECA) of 1995 is the only law that
supports the Environment Conservation Rules of 1997 (Chaturvedi, Keshav: 2015).
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Shumshunnahar, M. & Amin, M. R. (2023). Role of Mass Media in Promoting Environmental Health and Awareness in Bangladesh: A Case Study.
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(8). 32-40.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.108.15214
Bangladesh has had to deal with a number of natural disasters that have hurt its economy and
environment. These include deforestation, the destruction of wetlands and inland fisheries,
surface and groundwater pollution, soil nutrient depletion, coastal salinity intrusion, floods,
cyclones, tidal surges, and tornadoes (MoEF, 1992). We know that the media plays a big part in
growth and building strong institutions. As a society's watchdog, the mass media plays a key
part in figuring out the causes and effects of environmental problems, keeping an eye on how
they are fixed, and raising public knowledge. It is a key tool for building a progressive, fair, and
well-developed society (Environmental Protection Authority: 1997). In the current situation,
the mass media need to be involved to make sure that government environmental laws, policies,
strategies, and governmental capacities work better and lead to more sustainable
environmental growth. The goal of this study is to find out how the media affects people's
awareness of the environment by including environmental problems in all aspects of
Bangladesh's socioeconomic growth (Shishir, 2017).
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
To analyze the environmental health and education issues in Bangladesh and make
recommendations based on the impact of media there.
1. To learn about problems with the environment in Bangladesh.
2. To learn what effects social media has on the world.
3. To suggest some successful way to solve the problem.
METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY
This is a theoretical investigation. The majority of the information has come from secondary
resources. Secondary information was gathered by extensive reading of a wide variety of print
and digital sources, including academic journals, newspapers, magazines, novels, and websites.
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND CHALLENGES OF BANGLADESH
To understand the important and minor parts of how Bangladesh manages its environment
now, it's important to look at some of the country's biggest environmental problems and
challenges.
Water Pollution
There are a number of causes contributing to the deteriorating water quality in Bangladesh.
Inadequate flood control, drainage, and irrigation systems; improper use of synthetic fertiliser
and pesticides in agriculture; indiscriminate disposal of municipal, industrial, and agricultural
wastes entering the inland water systems; lack of adequate regulatory measures and
institutional setup for proper monitoring and control; etc (McQuail, D: 1994). It has been noted
recently that the leather industry is disregarding legal guidelines of the country by attempting
to escape the government's decision to relocate the factories from Hazaribag in Dhaka to
Hemayetpur in Savar (Financial Express, March 21, 2017). The rivers Buriganga and Sitalakka
are contaminated with chemicals from the discharge of around 250 factories (Shishir, 2017).
Deforestation
Millions of acres of forest are cut down for commercial uses like farming on a big scale, oil
mining, and making paper goods. Deforestation puts the lives of many species in danger, which
leads to the loss of wildlife and biodiversity. The International Union for Conservation of Nature
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(IUCN) keeps a list of species that are in danger of being lost to the environment. This list is
called the "Red List" (Nambiar, Prithi: 2014).
Air Pollution
In any industrialized country, air pollution is far more common in cities than in rural places. In
Bangladesh, the most polluted city is Dhaka, followed by Chittagong and Khulna, which are both
industrial towns. Pollution of the air is not a one-time thing; it happens all the time because the
sources of pollution are active all year (Prakash, Vidyut: 2015). The levels of CO, SO2, NOx, CO2,
and PM10 in Dhaka's air are as follows:
Industries Average
Noise level
(dB)
Hospitals Average
(outdoor)
Noise level(dB)
Trafficplace Average Noise
level(dB)
1. ARM Knit
Fabrics
93.73 1. Dhaka Medical
College
73.57 1.Azimpur bus
stand
102.22
2. SK Fashion
limited
83.96 2. LabAid Hospital 68.94 2.Mohamm
adpur Busstand
99.83
3. Abedin
Garments
83.51 3.Popular Diagnostic
Center
69.22 3.Shahbag Bus
Stand
100.6
4. AgacoFashion 87.16 4.Mohakhal I
Bus stations
100.5
Average (dB) 87.09 Average (dB) 70.58 Average (dB) 100.79
Noise Pollution
The world's travel networks, which include trains, planes, and cars, are responsible for most of
the noise outside. Reza (2015) says that the average noise levels in some factories, hospitals,
and traffic areas are 87.09 dB, 70.58 dB, and 100.79 dB. Traffic areas were noisier than hospitals
and other places because car horns made the noise louder. At the moment, hospitals, traffic
areas, and certain businesses in Dhaka are doing about normal.
Production of Plastic Goods
Our culture makes a lot of waste, and a lot of it is made of plastic. This trash ends up on land
and in water everywhere in the world. Plastic trash is a problem, but burning fossil fuels to
make plastic is also a problem. This is a complicated problem that touches on a lot of different
things and is worth working on (Singh, S: 2000).
Forest Biodiversity and Land Encroachment
There are 10,000 hectares of fields at the moment. On the other hand, shrimp farming has
caused more than twice as much land to be taken away from the Mangrove Forest, from 45,596
hectares in 2000 to 96,283 hectares in 2010 (Reza, 2016). Commercial plantation, illegal
possession in Sal Forest, inappropriate jhuming, illegal logging, stone exploitation, brick fields,
Bengali expansionism in Hill Forest, and apiculture, prawns by catching, and animal hunting in
the Mangrove Forest area are all things that worry people about the preservation of forest
biodiversity. So, when local leaders or corporations take over land in the name of farming
growth and development, it upsets the balance of species and ecosystems, destroys humus and
topsoil, changes the food chain, and reduces biodiversity. (Shishir, 2017).
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Shumshunnahar, M. & Amin, M. R. (2023). Role of Mass Media in Promoting Environmental Health and Awareness in Bangladesh: A Case Study.
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(8). 32-40.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.108.15214
OUTLINE OF BANGLADESH'S ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES AND LAWS
Several steps have been taken by the government to handle worries about the environment and
development. Some examples are the Environment Policy from 1992, the Forest Policy from
1994, the Water Policy from 1998, and the Energy Policy from 1995. In addition to these rules,
the National Conservation Strategy (NCS) and, in particular, the National Environmental
Management Action Plan, 1995 (NEMAP) have been made to help solve environmental issues
and promote sustainable growth. Agriculture, industry, health and sanitation, energy and fuel,
water development, flood control and irrigation, land, forests, wildlife and biodiversity,
fisheries and livestock, food, coastal and marine environment, transport and communication,
housing and urbanization, population, education and public awareness, science, technology and
research, legal framework and institutional area. However, each of these areas needs to have a
set of goals, objectives, and targets. Then, Bangladesh's environmental policy should set up the
basic rules and action plans for each area so that tactics can be made to reach these goals
(Viswanathan, S: 2010).
The National Forestry Master Plan was used to make the National Forestry Policy of 1994. The
strategy gives the government and private sector the chance to plant trees on about 20% of the
country's land by 2015, with the help of GO-NGOs and the active involvement of the people
(www.orkash.com).
The National Water Policy of 1999 was made to make sure that water resources are managed
in a fair and efficient way, that surface and ground water are properly used and developed, that
water is available to everyone who needs it, and that institutions have the skills they need to
handle water resources. Special Issue of the National East West Journal of Humanities, Vols. 6
and 7, 2016-2017 60 Energy Policy of 1996 says that energy should be used to keep the
economy growing, to get energy to different parts of the country, to develop energy sources
that are already there, and to make sure that programs for developing renewable energy are
good for the environment. The policy emphasizes how important it is to protect the
environment by making sure that any new energy growth project has an Environmental Impact
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Assessment. To reduce the effects of other sectors like industry, transportation, urbanization,
water control, etc., these policies call for both precautionary and cross-sectoral approaches.
Bangladesh's government has put in place a number of ways to protect the country's
environment (Shishir, 2017).
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS PROGRAMS OF MASS MEDIA IN BANGLADESH
Wilber Straum says that the mass media, which he calls "the great multipliers," are a country's
best chance to catch up on knowledge and keep to its plans for national growth. So, a country
that is still growing needs to think hard and carefully about how it uses these new
communication tools. In Bangladesh, there are two kinds of media: paper media and internet
media (http://nidm.gov.in/). Print media can be daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, and so on. Daily
papers can be read all over the country or just in one division, district, or sub-district. When we
say "electronic media," we mean TV or radio. Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television are
the main news outlets for Bangladesh. In our country, there are about 31 satellite TV stations.
Television stations show shows about farmland and how the environment is improving or
getting worse, the quality of the water, planting trees, managing the health of the soil and air,
etc (Rinkesh: 2023).
There are now different stories about the environment in newspapers and magazines that come
out daily, weekly, or monthly. It helps bring about natural innovations that are good for the long
term. Here is a list of newspapers and the environmental and farming publications they have:
Name of Newspapers Pages name
Daily ittefaq Ridoye mati o manusher krishi
Daily prothom alo Khet khamar
Daily jugantor Krishi kotha
Daily nayadiganta chasabad
Daily janakantha Bichitro bonoshodhi
Daily samakal donodhanno
Daily songbad Somvabona
Daily Star Environment
Source: (Shishir, 2017)
ROLE OF MASS MEDIA IN ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
There are two kinds of media in Bangladesh: print media and internet media. There are daily,
weekly, monthly, yearly, and other types of print media. Local, national, or from a district,
division, or sub district, daily newspapers can be printed. Electronic media are things like radio
and TV. Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television are two national mass media outlets.
About 31 satellite TV stations are available in our country. Television networks show shows
about how to take care of the soil and air, how clean the water is, how to grow trees, how the
world is changing or getting worse, and agriculture. Bangladesh Betar has a lot of shows about
farming and caring for the earth (www.humanipo.com).
There are now different stories about the environment and farming in daily, weekly, and
monthly newspapers and magazines. Innovation in the environment is good for survival. Social,
economic, environmental, and cultural analyses, as well as other types of analyses, are aired on
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Shumshunnahar, M. & Amin, M. R. (2023). Role of Mass Media in Promoting Environmental Health and Awareness in Bangladesh: A Case Study.
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(8). 32-40.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.108.15214
TV and radio. The media keeps an eye on society by letting people know about health problems,
the stock market, and new goods through ads. It's important to know that Bangladeshi mass
media only report on farmland and environmental management in a superficial way that
doesn't touch most people. We should be more careful with it. It is important to teach people
about the issues, problems, and many other things that have an effect on the world (Reza, 2019).
Radio
Radio has been around for a long time and is used in many countries all over the world. It shows
a variety of programs that entertain a big number of people in Bangladesh. To teach people
about agriculture and the environment, radio can play a wide range of shows and ads.
Television
Television is a great way to learn about how the world in Bangladesh is changing and
developing. It can teach people about environmental laws and policies, water policies, forest
policies, agricultural policies, and disaster management, among other things. It can also spread
information about the value of mushroom farming, the bad effects of commercial mushroom
farming, and tobacco farming (www.odisha.gov.in/).
Newspapers
By publishing in-depth articles on environmental issues like air pollution, water quality and
security, land encroachment, commercial agriculture's impact on climate change, riverbank
erosion, wildlife management, food security and adulteration, eco-tourism, etc., newspapers
can easily increase public awareness.
Film
Film is a good way to tell a story. It is a video tool that makes it easy for people to change their
minds. It can be used to teach people about the problems and issues facing the earth right now.
Even though the Ministry of Information has mobile film units that show programs about the
environment and agriculture in Bangladesh's rural areas, their roles are still not enough. In a
faraway place, this should cover everything.
Internet
As a result of the digital revolution, the internet has evolved into a credible and influential news
source. Internet is a topic that piques the curiosity of younger generations. In order to satisfy
the environmental curiosity of the youth of Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Telecommunication
Regulatory Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Ministry of
Information and Communication Technology might develop certain apps linked to the
environment and agricultural. The media may play a significant role in environmental education
and awareness (Role of Media in Environment Awareness, 2021).
Information on Climate Change
There is a high risk of floods in 60% of Bangladesh. The rise in sea level will have a devastating
effect on low-lying coastal systems and islands. Seasonal changes, climatic characteristics such
as maximum and minimum temperatures, humidity, maximum and minimum rainfall, and the
impacts of these on biodiversity and wildlife, river ecosystems, cropland, and the water sector
can all be disseminated to the public via various forms of mass media.
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Awareness on Natural Disasters
The media's coverage of an effective disaster management cycle can inform the public about the
government's preparedness, the capacity of institutions to aid in recovery efforts, the size of
cyclone shelters, the prevalence of water-related diseases during emergencies, the roles played
by municipal governments in providing aid, and the best ways for individuals to prepare for,
respond to, and rebuild from disasters (Reza, S: 2019).
RECOMMENDATIONS
Activist efforts to protect the environment have succeeded. Numerous coalitions of individuals
and organizations work to solve environmental problems under the banner of "environmental
activism." The social, scientific, political, and conservation spheres all benefit from the
cooperation of these organizations.
Political and Personal Responsibility
The goal of this type of activism is to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the air.
The primary goal is to lessen the impact of climate change. Activists frequently address the
moral implications of climate justice while planning for adaptation to climate change. The
Citizens' Climate Lobby is another group working on this issue. In 2005, 50 NGOs banded
together to establish a coalition called Stop Climate Chaos. The fundamental motivation for its
implementation in the United Kingdom was to combat global warming.
Environmental Activism
The fundamental objective of such environmental action is the protection of animals, flora, and
natural resources. The movement advocates for the protection of wildlife habitats and the
responsible management of natural resources (Shishir: 2017).
Campaigns for Ecological Fairness
A fair and equitable distribution of environmental benefits and liabilities is the primary goal of
these social initiatives. Environmental discrimination is a problem that activists for social
justice are working to overcome. Minority communities are disproportionately served by waste
management facilities. The activists claim this is a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and
an act of environmental discrimination.
Environmental Progress
It is said that economic growth will only be good if it helps protect the earth. In 1980, a group
of scientists came up with the idea. The people who believe in this idea say that environmental
productivity is a way to bring the business and nature together. The idea behind environmental
productivity is that making good use of natural resources could lead to long-term economic
growth. For example, protecting the environment could make businesses use less energy, which
would let them switch to less dangerous goods like clean technology.
Environmental Action at The Local Level
The group was started by a group of people who use basic freedoms like the right to free speech
and the freedom of the press to push for change. The group has no party affiliations or goals
and runs its campaigns on its own. The people who do this kind of organising are sure that
change can only happen when each person does something. Greenpeace, for example, put
together efforts to fight the French nuclear tests (Reza, S: 2019).
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Shumshunnahar, M. & Amin, M. R. (2023). Role of Mass Media in Promoting Environmental Health and Awareness in Bangladesh: A Case Study.
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(8). 32-40.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.108.15214
Eco-Terrorism
The main goal of this group of people who care about the earth is to fight ecoterrorism.
Sometimes activists do illegal or dangerous things that hurt people, their property, or the world
as a whole. For example, in the early 2000s, the Federal Bureau of Investigation found a link
between eco-terrorism and damage to property worth $200 million (Prakash, Vidyut: 2015).
Local Activism
It means getting the locals together to say no to or make suggestions for rules that would
protect their surroundings. Local action is common in North Carolina. One example is the group
that people who live near the Blue Ridge Mountains put together. Their main goal is to protect
the forest cover in the area (Rinkesh, 2023).
CONCLUSION
Economic growth is necessary for social and environmental inclusiveness; nevertheless,
environmental consciousness is necessary for economic success to last. By 2021, the
government of Bangladesh hopes to have raised the standard of life in Bangladesh to that of a
middle-class nation from where we presently operate. Having a creative and industrial
workforce and an effective integrated approach to future environmental problems and
economic growth go hand in hand in this circumstance. Mass media can be an important part
of our collective strategy for addressing environmental issues such as the capacity of our
environmental institutions, climate change, the encroachment of land and rivers, alien species
in forests, commercial cultivation's impact on food security, and the exploration and
management of our natural resources with minimal environmental footprints.
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Websites
www.annenberg.northwestern.edu/
www.orkash.com
http://nidm.gov.in/
www.humanipo.com
www.odisha.gov.in/