Stressing the need for initiating measures that would help increase productivity and reduce inequality, they said it is necessary to build effective public sewerage systems, mandatory industrial waste water treatment plants and a well-functioning public transport system.

The Nagorik Committee 2006 organised the seventh expert group consultation meeting on 'Vision 2021 for Bangladesh: Goal 7: To be environmentally sustainable' at Cirdap auditorium in Dhaka. Prof Abdullah Abu Sayeed, president of Bishwa Shahitya Kendra and M Hafizuddin Khan, former advisor of the caretaker government, jointly chaired the meeting.

There has been economic development in the last three decades but at the same time environmental degradation has taken place, Prof Abu Sayeed said.

It is possible to make the environment sustainable for the human ass well as the industries, he said, adding that it has become essential for the civil society to come forward and facilitate in the development process as dependence on the government will not work.

Emphasising decentralisation of urbanisation and focusing more in the upazila and district level, Prof Nazrul Islam, chairman of Centre for Urban Studies, said, "We need a strategy that will help us to increase productivity and reduce inequality at the same time."

Around 25 per cent of the total population now lives in the urban areas, which was only eight per cent in 1972, he said, adding that roughly 38 per cent of the population will be living in the urban areas by 2021.

Prof Aynun Nishat, country representative of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Bangladesh, said foreign buyers will not be interested in buying Bangladeshi garment, frozen food, leather and other products if the production processes are not environmentally sustainable and socially responsive.

The civil society can set up some sort of monitoring mechanism on environment so that it can help to address the environment-related issues, he noted.

Making a presentation on 'Vision 2021 for Bangladesh: Goal 7: To be environmentally sustainable,' Debapriya Bhattacharya, executive director of CPD, emphasised ensuring clean water bodies by enforcing the Clean Rivers Act that will hold citizens, urban centres and industries accountable for water pollution.

It is necessary to build effective public sewerage systems and mandatory industrial waste water treatment plants, he said, adding that an elevated rail system should be built in Dhaka.

There is a need for building a well-functioning public transport system in urban centres to lessen the number of motorised vehicles on the streets, Debapriya mentioned in his presentation.

A Atiq Rahman, executive director of Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, emphasised proper use of natural resources like fish, trees, rivers and canals.

"Livelihood should be linked to nature. Bangladeshi exporters will not be able to compete in the global market without addressing environmental sustainability in the production process," he observed.

Mohammad Reazuddin, director of the Department of Environment, stressed the need for environmental education that can help address environment-related issues.

"We need to set up at least four sewerage treatment plants to save rivers around Dhaka city," he said, adding that environment will not be sustainable if there is not a good sewerage system for the population of more than 12 million.

Dr AQM Mahbub of Dhaka University said there should be a land use policy. Road development consumes a substantial area of land but it is possible to work in the urban areas while living in the rural areas if there is a good transportation system, he said.

He criticised ignoring the railway system for a long time.

Mohidul Hoque Khan, general secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan (Bapa), said it is necessary to promote result-oriented initiatives rather than paper-based policies to make people aware.

Environment-related governance issues should be addressed separately, ecologist Hossain Shahriar said.

There are laws but those are not properly implemented, he said, referring to the use of polythene despite its banning through a bill in parliament.