Land use Change Detection of the Buriganga River Using GIS Tools and its Water Management for Promoting a Sustainable Environment

Abstract: The Buriganga River has dramatically been disrupted due to extreme reduction of its water flow and encroachment of the banks and rigorous pollution due to human waste, industrial garbage and solid waste dumping. Thus Buriganga poses serious environmental threats to the Dhaka city.s sustainable environment. Using GIS tools it is revealed that the first risk to be considered is the amount of decreasing water which is putting a threat on the life of the Buriganga River as well as the whole ecosystem of the surrounding region. The second hazard is considered as decreasing vegetation due to the growing up of built up area and river land conversion to agricultural field. The Buriganga River is now highly polluted and becoming more or less dead due to dumping clinical, industrial and household wastes, industrial effluents, and discharge of oil from river vehicles. Due to the severe pollution and loss of normal flow of water, the Buriganga River effects on the environment, social and economical impacts of the surrounding area. These are the great threat and health hazard risk for the inhabitants of the nearby area. Unfortunately there is no distinct river basin committee yet, even not for all other rivers. In the National Water Policy 1999, the first term river basin management came which only defines some common issues of river problems mainly focusing on the flood. No IWRM implementation policy is practiced in the country. This research work recommends promoting a sustainable environment in the Dhaka city area and healthier life for its inhabitants. It is essential to save the surrounding river system especially the Buriganga River. An integrated river basin organization is highly necessary to implement IWRM approach to save the river. The present study reveals that governmental weak institutional setup and lack of enforcement of existing laws and policy are the main obstruct to save the Buriganga River.