Blog Details

Md. Alam Hossain, Director, OSHE  |  11 February 2023

The brick kiln industry in Bangladesh employs more than 1.0 million people and contributes around 1.0% to the national economy. In reverse, it has all-encompassing adverse impacts on health and environment. Therefore, it is absolutely need to ban illegal traditional brick kilns to protect the environment, alike, it is necessary to various reforms and practices towards environment-friendly brick kilns and to job security of the working people involved in this work to maintain the economic growth of the country. That is to say, just transition of brick kilns should be addressed seriously.

Brick manufacturing is an important business sector in Bangladesh. More than 7000 brick kilns in Bangladesh produce 15 billion bricks annually to meet the country's growing demand for building materials. It employs more than 1.0 million people and contributes valued at around US$640 or 1.0% to the national economy. As the country doesn’t have stone aggregate, there is a large demand for bricks in Bangladesh. Most kilns operate based on fixed-chimney kilns (FCKs) and about five percent of the kilns based on Gas fired Tunnel/Hoffman kilns, Chinese Hoffman kilns year round.

Brick kilns (Fixed-chimney kilns) consume about 2.2 million tons of coal each year, most of which is imported by land from the Indian states of Meghalaya and Assam. In addition, an estimated 1.9 million tons of firewood are consumed. While wood is used to start fires, a ban on using wood is increasingly shifting users to other polluting fuels, including automobile tires, used tukris (basket made of bamboo to carry sand and clay) and fuel oil. In addition, there are around 30 kilns (mostly Tunnel kilns) using natural gas, which can be the cheapest energy source, and also environmentally friendly.

Traditional, energy-intensive kilns are still widely used in Bangladesh, making the brick sector a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. In 2010, the government issued a directive banning operation of traditional fixed chimney kilns by 2012, which was later extended to 2014. Today the directive still faces considerable barriers to enforcement and implementation, and the number of climate-friendly, energy-efficient kilns has yet to increase in line with expectations.

Nearly 1600 kilns are in Dhaka Division, contributing about 10% of the airborne particulate matter (PM) pollution to Dhaka’s air shed. Average seasonal particulate concentration varies from 25 to100 μg/m3 due to brick kiln emissions; but existence of clusters causes pollution “hotspots” levels as high as 200μg/m3. Dhaka’s overall PM10 pollution is about 200μg/m3 and PM2.5 about100 μg/m3 (2007), much higher than the WHO standards of 20μg/m3 and 10μg/m3 respectively [1]. The density of PM10 worsens during the dry season (December-March) to over 450μg/m3, one of the highest levels in the world. This contributes to pulmonary, respiratory and neurological illness, and an estimated 5,000 premature deaths [3]. Brick kilns account for 8.75 million tons of CO2 emissions each year, the largest stationary source (about 16% of the total from all sources). These CO2 emissions absorb infrared radiation, and contribute to global warming.

Brick kilns are the top air polluter in seven major cities in the country, particularly during dry season when most bricks are made, turning the air quality of these metropolitan area “severely unhealthy”, especially because of the dated manufacturing technology and proximity of kilns to major cities with large populations. Further threat is posed by the longitudinal density of brick kilns. These kilns are usually clustered in certain areas, sometimes close to major rivers and adjacent cities. This poses serious health risks to Dhaka city residents during brick manufacturing season which runs from December to April. The Department of Environment (DoE) reports that around 58% of fine particles in Dhaka air come from brick kilns.   

In consideration all of this, on November 26, 2019, The High Court ordered the government to conduct mobile court drives to shut down the illegal brick kilns in five districts-Dhaka, Narayanganj, Gazipur, Munshiganj, and Manikganj within 15 days. The court asked the deputy commissioners of Dhaka, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Manikganj and Gazipur as well as the director general of the Department of Environment (DoE) to submit an action taken report.

Dhaka has topped the list of cities around the world with the worst air quality on January 21, 2023 morning. With an air quality index (AQI) score of 249 at 8:55 am on Saturday, Dhaka ranked first in the list of cities with worst air, reports UNB. Earlier, in 2018, 2019 and 2020, 2021 also Bangladesh was found to be the most polluted country in the world. However, the PM2.5 level has shown a decline in Bangladesh from 77.1 micrograms per cubic metre in 2020 which was even higher at 83.3 in 2019 and 97.1 in 2018. There is possibility its repetition and increase its parameter if we do not careful or take effective measure to control the pollution.

Air pollution caused about 78,145–88,229 deaths in Bangladesh in 2019. While air pollution levels within the country vary significantly, the concentration of PM_2.5 in all the regions is significantly above the threshold recommended by the WHO Air Quality Guidelines. Dhaka is the most polluted division while Sylhet is the least polluted. From 2018 to 2021, Dhaka was ranked as the second most polluted city in the world. The western regions (Khulna and Rajshahi) are more polluted than the eastern ones (Sylhet and Chattogram). In the Dhaka division, in addition to local pollution sources, up to one-fifth of the total PM_2.5 concentration comes from Tran’s boundary sources. [3]

The WHO recognised that air pollution is a critical risk factor for non-communicable diseases, causing an estimated one-quarter (24 percent) of all adult deaths from heart disease, 25 percent from stroke, 43 percent from chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, and 29 percent from lung cancer.

Air pollution is now considered to be the world’s largest environmental health threat, accounting for seven million deaths around the world every year. Air pollution causes and aggravates many diseases, ranging from asthma to cancer, lung illnesses and heart disease. The estimated daily economic cost of air pollution has been figured at USD 8 billion or 3 to 4 percent of the gross world product. [2]

After all this brick kilns will remain so until a viable alternative bricks and technologies is found as because it is important for the rapidly growing economy of Bangladesh. In the meantime, the government, development partners and relevant parties is needed to take concerted effort to turn the brick kilns environmentally friendly and its necessary reforms towards job security through creating reskilling and redeployment of the workers involved in this industry as well as job creation and social protection.

Mentioning all of these issues are just transition which focus on the transition out of high-carbon activities and into the green economy, seeking to ensure harm to workers, communities, countries, and regions is avoided while maximising the benefits of climate action, while minimizing and carefully managing any challenges – including through effective social dialogue among all groups impacted, and respect for fundamental labour principles and rights. It needs to be prioritized by countries and businesses around the country right away, as a matter of urgency.

In 2015, the International Labour Organization (IL) released "Guidelines for a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all", decided between governments, employers and their organisations, and workers and their trade unions. It established just transition as a process “towards an environmentally sustainable economy which needs to be well managed and contribute to the goals of decent work for all, social inclusion and the eradication of poverty”. Around the same time, the parties to the 2015 Paris Agreement committed to taking into account “the imperatives of a just transition of the workforce and the creation of decent work and quality jobs in accordance with nationally defined development priorities.” [5]

In a developing country context, labour market policies and social protections are not as well developed. There may be needs for increased investment in labour market policies like reskilling, training, and placement services for workers in transitioning sectors. Unemployment benefits, investments in the education system, and programs to prevent and alleviate poverty are necessary for all countries to facilitate a just transition. This often occurs in countries as part of national development plans, but, in many cases, it is not explicitly linked to efforts for a just transition. Often, a just transition has been associated with the energy sector, but principles for a just transition can be considered across other sectors that may undergo difficult reforms that affect tripartite partners (workers, employers, and government) and stakeholders as countries look to achieve the Agenda 2030, the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change (and its Nationally Determined Contributions [NDCs]), and national development and climate strategies. [3]

Working on just transition brings all actors like unions, industry, public administration, governments, civil society and others who believe in fair regional redevelopment to the same table to sharing this goal. They should be working together to find what is best for their regions and communities, from creating good quality jobs to identifying sustainable alternatives.

It is evident from the above discussion that various reforms, renovations of brick kilns and alternative innovations including environmental regulation, relocation, shifting to more environmentally friendly technologies and processes and importing stone aggregates will require to introduce to solve the crisis of this industry and to reduce environment pollution.

Addressing the issues hindering reform will take actions on many fronts, including coalition building and a good coordination strategy. It is absolutely necessary for the economic growth and sustainable environmental development of the country and in that case Just Transition will be a key instrument or play a key role in this regard. The Government and other relevant actors will take all kinds of initiatives in this regards within the just transition framework.

Sources:

 [1] “Bangladesh Clean Air and Sustainable Environment Project”. Project Appraisal Document. Washington, D.C.: World Bank, 2009.

[2] World Air Quality Report

[3] High Air Pollution Level is Creating Physical and Mental Health Hazards in Bangladesh: World Bank

[4] GIZ Just Transition to a Green Economy Webversion.pdf

[5] https://www.ihrb.org/explainers/what-is-just-transition

[6] https://www.ituc-csi.org/just-transition-centre