Book•
A History of Bangladesh
12 Feb 2009-
TL;DR: Willem van Schendel's history reveals the country's vibrant, colourful past and its diverse culture as it navigates the extraordinary twists and turns that have created modern Bangladesh.
Abstract: Bangladesh is a new name for an old land whose history is little known to the wider world. A country chiefly famous in the West for media images of poverty, underdevelopment, and natural disasters, Bangladesh did not exist as an independent state until 1971. Willem van Schendel's history reveals the country's vibrant, colourful past and its diverse culture as it navigates the extraordinary twists and turns that have created modern Bangladesh. The story begins with the early geological history of the delta which has decisively shaped Bangladesh society. The narrative then moves chronologically through the era of colonial rule, the partition of Bengal, the war with Pakistan and the birth of Bangladesh as an independent state. In so doing, it reveals the forces that have made Bangladesh what it is today. This is an eloquent introduction to a fascinating country and its resilient and inventive people.
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TL;DR: Improved monitoring is required over a wider area, to determine long-term trends, particularly as short-term records are highly variable, and Focus in regions where wide spread development is occurring or is expected would be advantageous.
221 citations
Cites background from "A History of Bangladesh"
...Kolkata becomeamajor port, partly under European influence over the last few hundred years (van Schendel, 2009)....
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Book•
31 Oct 2011TL;DR: The story of Bangladesh, told through the pages of this concise and readable book, is a truly remarkable one by delving into its past, and through an analysis of the economic, political and social changes that have taken place over the last twenty years, the book explains how Bangladesh is becoming of increasing interest to the international community as a portal into some of the key issues of our age.
Abstract: Since its hard-won independence from Pakistan, Bangladesh has been ravaged by economic and environmental disasters Only recently has the country begun to emerge as a fragile, but functioning, parliamentary democracy The story of Bangladesh, told through the pages of this concise and readable book, is a truly remarkable one By delving into its past, and through an analysis of the economic, political and social changes that have taken place over the last twenty years, the book explains how Bangladesh is becoming of increasing interest to the international community as a portal into some of the key issues of our age In this way the book offers an important corrective to the view of Bangladesh as a failed state
163 citations
Book•
07 Oct 2013
TL;DR: Sunil Amrith as discussed by the authors gives a revelatory and stirring new account of the Bay of Bengal and those who have inhabited it, integrating human and environmental history, and mining a wealth of sources.
Abstract: Book synopsis: The Indian Ocean was global long before the Atlantic, and today the countries bordering the Bay of Bengal—India, Bangladesh, Burma, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia—are home to one in four people on Earth. Crossing the Bay of Bengal places this region at the heart of world history for the first time. Integrating human and environmental history, and mining a wealth of sources, Sunil Amrith gives a revelatory and stirring new account of the Bay and those who have inhabited it.
For centuries the Bay of Bengal served as a maritime highway between India and China, and then as a battleground for European empires, all while being shaped by the monsoons and by human migration. Imperial powers in the nineteenth century, abetted by the force of capital and the power of steam, reconfigured the Bay in their quest for coffee, rice, and rubber. Millions of Indian migrants crossed the sea, bound by debt or spurred by drought, and filled with ambition. Booming port cities like Singapore and Penang became the most culturally diverse societies of their time. By the 1930s, however, economic, political, and environmental pressures began to erode the Bay’s centuries-old patterns of interconnection.
Today, rising waters leave the Bay of Bengal’s shores especially vulnerable to climate change, at the same time that its location makes it central to struggles over Asia’s future. Amrith’s evocative and compelling narrative of the region’s pasts offers insights critical to understanding and confronting the many challenges facing Asia in the decades ahead.
133 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the underlying reasons for the relative neglect of urban poverty in research, policy and action on poverty reduction in Bangladesh and argue for more comprehensive policy and programmes for the urban poor.
Abstract: In Bangladesh, urban poverty is neglected in research, policy and action on poverty reduction. This paper explores the underlying reasons for this relative neglect, which include national identity and image, the political economy of urban poverty and the structuring of knowledge creation. It argues for more comprehensive policy and programmes for the urban poor given Bangladesh's increasingly urban future and the growing magnitude of urban poverty. The impact of climate change will accelerate Bangladesh's ongoing urbanization as well as deepen the scale and severity of urban poverty. The fact that reducing urban poverty will be increasingly important in meeting national goals for poverty reduction means that policy and action must pay more attention to the urban poor. This is contingent upon two factors: first, a better understanding of the scale and nature of urban poverty and vulnerability; and second, the confrontation of powerful interests necessary to secure a national commitment to urban poverty reduction.
112 citations
Cites background from "A History of Bangladesh"
...Van Schendel, W (2009), A History of Bangladesh, Cambridge University Press, 374 pages....
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References
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4,200 citations
TL;DR: The experience in Bangladesh shows that groundwater sources throughout the world that are used for drinking-water should be tested for arsenic, and the fundamental intervention is the identification and provision of arsenic-free drinking water.
Abstract: The contamination of groundwater by arsenic in Bangladesh is the largest poisoning of a population in history, with millions of people exposed. This paper describes the history of the discovery of arsenic in drinking-water in Bangladesh and recommends intervention strategies. Tube-wells were installed to provide ‘‘pure water’’ to prevent morbidity and mortality from gastrointestinal disease. The water from the millions of tube-wells that were installed was not tested for arsenic contamination. Studies in other countries where the population has had long-term exposure to arsenic in groundwater indicate that 1 in 10 people who drink water containing 500mg of arsenic per litre may ultimately die from cancers caused by arsenic, including lung, bladder and skin cancers. The rapid allocation of funding and prompt expansion of current interventions to address this contamination should be facilitated. The fundamental intervention is the identification and provision of arsenic-free drinking water. Arsenic is rapidly excreted in urine, and for early or mild cases, no specific treatment is required. Community education and participation are essential to ensure that interventions are successful; these should be coupled with follow-up monitoring to confirm that exposure has ended. Taken together with the discovery of arsenic in groundwater in other countries, the experience in Bangladesh shows that groundwater sources throughout the world that are used for drinking-water should be tested for arsenic.
1,946 citations
Book•
01 Jan 1963
TL;DR: Geertz as discussed by the authors provides an insightful and persuasive analysis of Indonesian agricultural history, primarily covering the period of Dutch control, from 1619 to 1942, drawing on ecology, sociology, and economics.
Abstract: 'A remarkably interesting account of Indonesian agricultural history, primarily covering the period of Dutch control, from 1619 to 1942. Drawing on ecology, sociology, and economics, Geertz...provides an insightful and persuasive analysis' - "The Annals". 'If colonial geography ever succeeds in establishing itself as a discrete and integral focus of inquiry, it may well date its majority to the publication of "Agricultural Involution"' - "Geographical Record". 'A brilliant and superbly written study...an incisive, even frightening description of the most crucial dilemma in contemporary Indonesia' - "Agricultural History". 'A valuable and important study...in which source materials from history, economics, soil science, geography and other fields are brilliantly marshalled and interrelated. But besides being an exemplary study in the interaction of history, physical environment and agricultural technology, this book represents a watershed between narrowly conceived ethnographies and the flood of verbose and ill digested post-war 'technology-and-social-change' monographs that are wont to aim high and hit wide...A model of comparative analytical writing' - "Man".
1,031 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discussed the possible impacts of climate change in Bangladesh through tropical cyclones, storm surges, coastal erosion and back water effect, and made a few remarks on the adapta- tion options for Bangladesh in the event of Climate change.
Abstract: Bangladesh is likely to be one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change. This paper discusses the possible impacts of climate change in Bangladesh through tropical cyclones, storm surges, coastal erosion and back water effect. The possible increase in cyclone fre- quency in the Bay of Bengal, lying south of Bangladesh, due to climate change is looked at by analyz- ing the cyclone data for 119 yr. Both qualitative and quantitative discussions are made on cyclone intensity increase for a sea surface temperature rise of 2 and 4°C. Different scenarios of storm surges under different climate change conditions are developed by using a numerical model of storm surges for the Bay of Bengal. Possible loss of land through beach erosion due to sea level rise on the eastern coast of Bangladesh is examined. Some discussions are also made on the impacts of back water effect due to sea level rise on flood situations in the country. Finally, a few remarks are made on the adapta- tion options for Bangladesh in the event of climate change.
423 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the use of climate change scenarios from four general circulation models as input into hydrological models demonstrates substantial increases in mean peak discharges in the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna (GBM) rivers.
Abstract: Bangladesh is very prone to flooding due to its location at the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna (GBM) rivers and because of the hydro-meteorological and topographical characteristics of the basins in which it is situated. On average, annual floods inundate 20.5 per cent area of the country and this can reach as high as about 70 per cent during an extreme flood event. Floods cause serious damage to the economy of Bangladesh, a country with a low per capita income. Global warming caused by the enhanced greenhouse effect is likely to have significant effects on the hydrology and water resources of the GBM basins and might ultimately lead to more serious floods in Bangladesh. The use of climate change scenarios from four general circulation models as input into hydrological models demonstrates substantial increases in mean peak discharges in the GBM rivers. These changes may lead to changes in the occurrence of flooding with certain magnitude. Extreme flooding events will create a number of implications for agriculture, flood control and infrastructure in Bangladesh.
421 citations