Environmental Governance in Secondary Cities of Bangladesh: A Case Study of Tangail

Abstract

Governing urban environmental problems is an enormous challenge in the cities of developing countries like Bangladesh. The study titled “Environmental Governance in Secondary Cities of Bangladesh: A Case Study of Tangail” investigates the environmental problems and how those environmental problems are governed by the authority, challenges behind the environmental governance and role of NGOs, CSOs and CBOs for environmental governance of the city. Quantitative and qualitative survey were used to fulfill the objectives of the research. Household survey was conducted as quantitative technique for this study to achieve the clear and real scenario of environmental problems linked with environmental governance in Tangail Paurashava. Environmental governance indicators, sub-indicators were selected from relevant literature to assess the environmental governance condition of the city. Household survey showed that many environmental problems were explored such as inadequate water supply, waste management problem, drainage and water logging problem, roads and traffic management problem, noise, air, water pollution, electricity supply problem, open space, field and recreational facilities problem etc. and the governance of these problems were ‘poor’ as perceived by households. Key informant interview (KII) as qualitative survey revealed that governance condition of selected environmental problems in Tangail Paurashava was also ‘poor’. The condition of maximum indicators such as accountability, transparency, responsiveness, peoples’ participation, leadership, rules and regulations, planning were ‘poor’ in governing those identified problems. The Local Government (Paurashava) Act 2009 was not complied properly in governing environmental problems of the Paurashava. There was a little difference between household’s and KI’s perceptions on the governance indicators. Key challenges behind the environmental governance, the role of environmental NGOs, CSOs and CBOs in governing environmental problems in the Paurashava were identified through in depth interview of KIS and household survey.