In its struggle for independence, Bangladesh became the focal point of world attention in the early 1970s. It emerged victorious, but its development was hindered by the after-effects of the war—the destruction of much of its infrastructure, problems of governmental change, and the enormous difficulties faced by government and aid officials in assembling a data base for long-range planning. Professor Rashid's book—the first major comprehensive geographic inventory of Bangladesh—provides the key elements for such a base. Emphasizing the rural and agricultural characteristics of the country, it also covers in depth its physiography, hydrography, climate, soils, land utilization, migration and settlement patterns, transportation infrastructure, and human and natural resources.

This book provides an overview of the emergence of geography as a discipline in Bangladesh and the contributions made by local geographers towards the development of the country. It explores problems associated with population growth and poverty, landlessness and food security, land use and natural resource management, urbanism, climate change, disaster management and human health. The volume shows how research and the study of geography in the ‘periphery’ can contribute in achieving progress in countries like Bangladesh and help them prepare against imminent disasters, ecological, social, economic shocks and uncertainties. This book will be useful to students and researchers of geography, environment studies, disaster management, development studies, geoinformatics, geology, demography, sociology and South Asian studies with a particular focus on Bangladesh. It will also interest various policy makers and NGO professionals working in these and related fields.

Textbook on the economic geography of Bangladesh - covers past economic development, agriculture, forests, energy sources, manufacturing, transport and trade, population, development potential, etc. Bibliography pp. 231 to 239, maps, and statistical tables.

In its struggle for independence, Bangladesh became the focal point of world attention in the early 1970s. It emerged victorious, but its development was hindered by the after-effects of the war--the destruction of much of its infrastructure, problems of governmental change, and the enormous difficulties faced by government and aid officials in assembling a data base for long-range planning. Professor Rashid's book--the first major comprehensive geographic inventory of Bangladesh--provides the key elements for such a base. Emphasizing the rural and agricultural characteristics of the country, it also covers in depth its physiography, hydrography, climate, soils, land utilization, migration and settlement patterns, transportation infrastructure, and human and natural resources.

This book focuses on the transformation of Bangladesh in respect to its people, geography, economy and environment. The authors discuss current problems such as vulnerability caused by environmental degradation in Bangladesh but also opportunities of this rapidly changing country. The book explains how the country is rapidly transforming from a rural subsistence agrarian based economic system to a new economic partner contributing to global processes. Bangladesh is presented as an example for the changes in the Global South, where a mismatch is often observed in linking resources and activities with environmental sustainability, possibly due to insufficient base-line knowledge. As faster growth is marginalizing resources to increase the GDP, the sustainability of resource exploitation is being questioned. The authors describe the vulnerable situation caused by possible sea-level rise, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, climate extremities, urbanization, and population displacement. This volume offers comprehensive knowledge about the geography and environment of Bangladesh and aims to help readers further investigate the issues and work on solutions. The book appeals to academics, professionals and students at all levels interested in Bangladesh as well as environmental problems and geographical issues in a rapidly transforming country.