IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i17p7716-d1733921.html

Industrial Wastewater Disposal and Its Socio-Environmental Consequences: Evidence from the Uttara Export Processing Zone, Bangladesh

Author

Listed:
  • A B M Nurullah

    (Department of Sociology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA)

  • Most Sanjida Khatun

    (Department of Statistics, Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur 5404, Bangladesh)

  • Liesel Ritchie

    (Department of Sociology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA)

Abstract

This study examines the impacts of industrial wastewater from the Uttara Export Processing Zone (UEPZ) on natural resources, agriculture, and the health of nearby communities in Nilphamari, Bangladesh. Using a quantitative, self-report approach, data were collected from 162 households across four villages in Nilphamari Sadar Upazila, selected based on proximity to the UEPZ. Findings reveal significant environmental degradation: almost all (96%) respondents reported that water in nearby rivers and ponds has changed color and is odorous, unpleasant to taste, and contaminated, harming aquatic biodiversity. Agricultural productivity has declined, with 67 percent of respondents experiencing reduced crop yields, increased crop diseases, and rising cultivation costs due to greater dependence on fertilizers and pesticides. Also, 96 percent of respondents reported that the fish population diminished, reducing alternative income sources. Health impacts were pronounced; 69 percent of the respondents experienced water pollution-related complications, including skin, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and eye problems. Perceptions of wastewater health risks were strongly aligned with reported illnesses. Binary logistic regression further indicated a positive association between degraded crop health and human health problems. The study concludes that UEPZ’s wastewater disposal negatively affects natural resources, agriculture, and public health, underscoring the need for improved waste management and mitigation to protect affected communities.

Suggested Citation

  • A B M Nurullah & Most Sanjida Khatun & Liesel Ritchie, 2025. "Industrial Wastewater Disposal and Its Socio-Environmental Consequences: Evidence from the Uttara Export Processing Zone, Bangladesh," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-23, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:17:p:7716-:d:1733921
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/17/7716/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/17/7716/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Barbier,Edward B., 2019. "Natural Resources and Economic Development," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107179264, August.
    2. Eric A. Hanushek & Ludger Woessmann, 2008. "The Role of Cognitive Skills in Economic Development," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 46(3), pages 607-668, September.
    3. Béné, Christophe & Arthur, Robert & Norbury, Hannah & Allison, Edward H. & Beveridge, Malcolm & Bush, Simon & Campling, Liam & Leschen, Will & Little, David & Squires, Dale & Thilsted, Shakuntala H. &, 2016. "Contribution of Fisheries and Aquaculture to Food Security and Poverty Reduction: Assessing the Current Evidence," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 177-196.
    4. David Tilman & Kenneth G. Cassman & Pamela A. Matson & Rosamond Naylor & Stephen Polasky, 2002. "Agricultural sustainability and intensive production practices," Nature, Nature, vol. 418(6898), pages 671-677, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Morteza Akbari & Pantea Foroudi & Mohana Shahmoradi & Hamid Padash & Zahra Shahabaldini Parizi & Ala Khosravani & Pouria Ataei & Maria Teresa Cuomo, 2022. "The Evolution of Food Security: Where Are We Now, Where Should We Go Next?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-27, March.
    2. Daniel Ştefan Armeanu & Georgeta Vintilă & Ştefan Cristian Gherghina, 2017. "Empirical Study towards the Drivers of Sustainable Economic Growth in EU-28 Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-22, December.
    3. Kristinn Hermannsson & Patrizio Lecca, 2016. "Human Capital in Economic Development: From Labour Productivity to Macroeconomic Impact," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 35(1), pages 24-36, March.
    4. Elisa Morri & Riccardo Santolini, 2021. "Ecosystem Services Valuation for the Sustainable Land Use Management by Nature-Based Solution (NbS) in the Common Agricultural Policy Actions: A Case Study on the Foglia River Basin (Marche Region, Italy)," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-23, December.
    5. Liu, Duan & Tang, Runcheng & Xie, Jun & Tian, Jingjing & Shi, Rui & Zhang, Kai, 2020. "Valuation of ecosystem services of rice–fish coculture systems in Ruyuan County, China," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    6. Seebacher, Moritz, 2023. "Pathways to progress: The complementarity of bicycles and road infrastructure for girls’ education," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    7. Shen Yuan & Shaobing Peng, 2017. "Exploring the Trends in Nitrogen Input and Nitrogen Use Efficiency for Agricultural Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-15, October.
    8. Katarina Arvidsson Segerkvist & Helena Hansson & Ulf Sonesson & Stefan Gunnarsson, 2021. "A Systematic Mapping of Current Literature on Sustainability at Farm-Level in Beef and Lamb Meat Production," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-14, February.
    9. Vainio, Annukka & Tienhaara, Annika & Haltia, Emmi & Hyvönen, Terho & Pyysiäinen, Jarkko & Pouta, Eija, 2021. "The legitimacy of result-oriented and action-oriented agri-environmental schemes: A comparison of farmers’ and citizens’ perceptions," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    10. Sean Irwin & Mark S. Flaherty & Joachim Carolsfeld, 2021. "The contribution of small-scale, privately owned tropical aquaculture to food security and dietary diversity in Bolivia," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(1), pages 199-218, February.
    11. Hualin Xie & Yingqian Huang & Qianru Chen & Yanwei Zhang & Qing Wu, 2019. "Prospects for Agricultural Sustainable Intensification: A Review of Research," Land, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-27, October.
    12. Smith, Helen F. & Sullivan, Caroline A., 2014. "Ecosystem services within agricultural landscapes—Farmers' perceptions," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 72-80.
    13. Oasis Kodila-Tedika & Simplice A. Asongu, 2015. "The Effect of Intelligence on Financial Development: A Cross-Country Comparison," Research Africa Network Working Papers 15/002, Research Africa Network (RAN).
    14. Gizem Uzuner & Festus Victor Bekun & Kayode Kolawole Eluwole & Andrew Adewale Alola, 2025. "Are export and capital accumulation panacea for economic growth in Mexico?: a non-linearity evidence," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 59(5), pages 4559-4579, October.
    15. Dickerson, Andy & McIntosh, Steven & Valente, Christine, 2015. "Do the maths: An analysis of the gender gap in mathematics in Africa," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 1-22.
    16. Bijlsma Ineke & van den Brakel Jan & van der Velden Rolf & Allen Jim, 2020. "Estimating Literacy Levels at a Detailed Regional Level: an Application Using Dutch Data," Journal of Official Statistics, Sciendo, vol. 36(2), pages 251-274, June.
    17. T. Gries & R. Grundmann & I. Palnau & M. Redlin, 2017. "Innovations, growth and participation in advanced economies - a review of major concepts and findings," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 14(2), pages 293-351, April.
    18. Paul L. G. Vlek & Asia Khamzina & Hossein Azadi & Anik Bhaduri & Luna Bharati & Ademola Braimoh & Christopher Martius & Terry Sunderland & Fatemeh Taheri, 2017. "Trade-Offs in Multi-Purpose Land Use under Land Degradation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-19, November.
    19. Frank Hubers & Dinand Webbink, 2015. "The long-term effects of military conscription on educational attainment and wages," IZA Journal of Labor Economics, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 4(1), pages 1-16, December.
    20. Natalia Krüger & Axel McCallum & Víctor Volman, 2020. "Segregación escolar por nivel socioeconómico: disparidades entre las provincias argentinas," Asociación Argentina de Economía Política: Working Papers 4362, Asociación Argentina de Economía Política.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:17:p:7716-:d:1733921. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager The email address of this maintainer does not seem to be valid anymore. Please ask MDPI Indexing Manager to update the entry or send us the correct address (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.