Report on Heavy Metal Contamination in the Buriganga River and its Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

A recent academic review conducted by researchers at Jahangirnagar University highlights severe heavy metal contamination in the Buriganga River, presenting a critical threat to environmental stability and public health in Dhaka. The findings indicate that current pollution levels directly undermine Bangladesh’s progress towards several key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those concerning clean water (SDG 6), good health (SDG 3), sustainable cities (SDG 11), and life below water (SDG 14). This report summarises the study’s findings and recommendations, framing them within the context of the global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Study Overview and Methodology

Publication Details

The analysis is based on the study titled ‘Heavy metal contamination in the Buriganga River, Bangladesh: A review of ecological risk and pollution,’ authored by Beauty Akter and Professor Syed Hafizur Rahman of Jahangirnagar University’s environmental sciences department. It was published in the June 2025 edition of the Jahangirnagar University Environmental Bulletin.

Methodological Approach

The research provides a comprehensive review of existing peer-reviewed studies, analysing the concentration of heavy metals in the river’s water and sediment. The ecological risks were evaluated using internationally recognised assessment tools, including:

• Contamination Factor (CF)
• Pollution Load Index (PLI)
• Ecological Risk Index (ERI)

Key Findings: A Direct Challenge to SDG 6 and SDG 14

Hazardous Contamination Levels

The study confirms dangerously high concentrations of multiple toxic heavy metals, which exceed both national and international safety standards. These findings represent a significant failure to achieve SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation). The identified metals include:

• Lead (Pb)
• Cadmium (Cd)
• Chromium (Cr)
• Mercury (Hg)
• Arsenic (As)
• Zinc (Zn)
• Nickel (Ni)
• Copper (Cu)
• Iron (Fe)

Primary Pollution Sources and Impact on SDG 12

The report identifies unregulated industrial discharge as the primary cause of contamination, directly contravening the principles of SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). Key contributors are concentrated in the Hazaribagh and Kamrangirchar areas.

1. Industrial Effluents: Waste from tannery, textile, dyeing, and chemical factories is the main source.
2. Untreated Sewage: Discharge of untreated domestic sewage adds to the pollution load.
3. Urban and Agricultural Runoff: Roadside runoff and agricultural discharge introduce further contaminants.
4. Solid Waste Dumping: The practice of open solid waste dumping exacerbates the problem.

Ecological Risk and Threat to SDG 14

The contamination poses a severe threat to aquatic ecosystems, undermining efforts related to SDG 14 (Life Below Water). The ecological risk assessment classified Chromium and Lead as posing a ‘high to very high’ risk. Cadmium, Mercury, and Arsenic were also identified as significant threats. The study warns that these metals are persistent and bio-accumulative, capable of entering the food chain and devastating aquatic life.

Socio-Economic Impacts: Contradicting SDG 3 and SDG 11

Public Health Crisis and SDG 3

The pollution of the Buriganga River creates a significant public health crisis, impeding progress on SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being). The bio-accumulation of heavy metals in aquatic organisms poses a direct threat to human populations who rely on the river for irrigation, washing, and household use, leading to potential long-term health complications.

Undermining Sustainable Urban Development (SDG 11)

As a vital economic and ecological artery for Dhaka, the degradation of the Buriganga threatens the viability of a sustainable urban community, a core target of SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). The river’s decline diminishes its social value and ecological functions, turning a vital resource into a hazardous liability for the city.

Institutional Failures and Governance Gaps Hindering SDG 16

Weak Enforcement of Environmental Law

The study criticises the weak enforcement of existing legal frameworks, such as the Environment Conservation Act, 1995, and the Environment Conservation Rules, 1997. This failure of governance points to a significant challenge in achieving SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), as unchecked industrial growth continues without accountability or adequate waste management planning.

Strategic Recommendations for Achieving the SDGs

Policy and Infrastructural Interventions

The authors urge immediate and integrated action from policymakers to align national development with the SDGs. The recommendations focus on pollution control, ecological restoration, and strengthening governance.

1. Promote Sustainable Industrialisation (SDG 9 & 12): Mandate the installation of Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) in all polluting industries and relocate high-risk factories away from riverbanks.
2. Enhance Water Management and Monitoring (SDG 6): Establish continuous, real-time water quality monitoring systems and create buffer zones between industrial areas and water bodies. River dredging is suggested to improve water flow and quality.
3. Strengthen Governance and Enforcement (SDG 16): Bolster the enforcement capacity of the Department of Environment, Dhaka City Corporation, and the Ministry of Industries to ensure compliance with environmental laws.
4. Foster Partnerships and Awareness (SDG 17): Launch awareness campaigns targeting industry owners, municipal authorities, and the public to promote a collective responsibility for river conservation.

Conclusion

The contamination of the Buriganga River is a multifaceted crisis that extends beyond environmental degradation, directly impacting public health, economic stability, and urban sustainability. The study concludes that addressing this issue is imperative for Bangladesh to meet its commitments under the 2030 Agenda. An integrated water resource management approach, combining robust pollution control, ecological restoration, and strengthened governance, is essential to revive the Buriganga and ensure progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

Relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The issues discussed in the article, primarily the heavy metal contamination of the Buriganga River, are directly and indirectly connected to several Sustainable Development Goals. These goals address the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainable development that are threatened by the pollution crisis.

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  The article highlights significant threats to “public health” and “human health.” It warns that toxic heavy metals are bio-accumulative, entering the food chain through aquatic organisms and endangering human populations who use the river for “washing, irrigation and even household uses.” This directly connects to the goal of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being.

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

  This is the most central SDG addressed. The entire article focuses on the severe pollution of a major water body, the Buriganga River. It details the “dangerously high levels of toxic metals,” identifies the sources as “unregulated industrial discharge points” and “untreated domestic sewage,” and calls for improved water quality management, which are core components of SDG 6.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The problem is situated in the context of Dhaka, a major city. The article links the pollution to “unchecked industrial growth without adequate planning” and urban waste sources like “roadside runoff” and “open solid waste dumping.” The river’s deterioration affects its role as an “economic lifeline for Dhaka City,” making the issue relevant to creating sustainable and resilient urban environments.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  The primary sources of pollution identified are industrial, including “tannery waste, textile and dyeing factories and chemical industries.” The article criticizes the lack of “effluent treatment plants in all polluting industries,” pointing to unsustainable production patterns where waste is not managed responsibly. This directly relates to achieving environmentally sound management of chemicals and wastes.

• SDG 14: Life Below Water

  The article explicitly states that the heavy metal contamination presents “long-term dangers for aquatic life” and that metals “build up in aquatic organisms.” Although the Buriganga is a river, it is a land-based source of pollution that ultimately affects larger marine ecosystems, connecting the issue to the goal of protecting life below water.

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  The Buriganga River is an “inland freshwater ecosystem,” a key focus of SDG 15. The article warns that the river’s “ecological functions” are deteriorating and concludes by calling for “ecological restoration.” This aligns with the goal of protecting and restoring terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems.

Specific SDG Targets

Based on the article’s content, several specific targets under the aforementioned SDGs can be identified.

1. Target 6.3: Improve water quality by reducing pollution

   This target aims to “improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater.” The article directly addresses this by describing the Buriganga as a “dumping ground for hazardous waste” from industries and calling for measures to stop “arbitrary disposal” and install “effluent treatment plants.”

2. Target 3.9: Reduce illnesses and deaths from hazardous chemicals and pollution

   This target seeks to “substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.” The article’s focus on “dangerously high levels of toxic metals including lead, cadmium, chromium, mercury, arsenic” and the resulting “dangers for…human health” directly corresponds to this target.

3. Target 12.4: Environmentally sound management of chemicals and wastes

   This target calls for achieving “environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle…and significantly reduce their release to…water and soil.” The article identifies the primary problem as pollution from “tannery waste, textile and dyeing factories and chemical industries,” which are failing to manage their hazardous waste, leading to its release into the river.

4. Target 11.6: Reduce the environmental impact of cities

   This target aims to “reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to…municipal and other waste management.” The article mentions pollution sources such as “untreated domestic sewage,” “roadside runoff,” and “open solid waste dumping” within the Dhaka city area, which are failures in municipal waste management.

5. Target 14.1: Reduce marine pollution from land-based activities

   This target is to “prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities.” The industrial and municipal pollution of the Buriganga River is a clear example of land-based activities that contaminate freshwater systems, which eventually flow into and pollute marine environments.

Implied Indicators for Measuring Progress

The article mentions or implies several indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets.

• Indicator for Target 6.3 (Improve water quality)

  The article directly implies the use of Indicator 6.3.2: Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality. The study itself is an assessment of the Buriganga’s water quality, finding that concentrations of heavy metals “exceed both national and international safety thresholds.” Furthermore, the recommendation to establish “continuous water quality monitoring systems” is a direct call for the infrastructure needed to track this indicator. The article also mentions specific measurement tools used in the study, such as the “contamination factor, pollution load index, and ecological risk index,” which serve as practical, non-official indicators of water quality.

• Indicator for Target 6.3 (Wastewater treatment)

  The article implies Indicator 6.3.1: Proportion of domestic and industrial wastewater flows safely treated. It explicitly points to “untreated domestic sewage” and “unregulated industrial discharge” as major pollution sources. The key recommendation to set up “effluent treatment plants in all polluting industries” directly aims to increase the proportion of treated industrial wastewater, making this a relevant metric for tracking progress.

• Indicator for Target 3.9 (Reduce health impacts)

  The article implies the relevance of Indicator 3.9.2: Mortality rate attributed to unsafe water, unsafe sanitation and lack of hygiene. By stating that human populations rely on the contaminated river for “washing, irrigation and even household uses,” the article highlights direct exposure to unsafe water, which is the basis for this indicator. Measuring the health impacts on these populations would be a way to track progress.

Summary of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: newagebd.net